Defense matters<\/p>\n
Had it not come from Minister of Defense Mahfud MD, the
\nproposal to forge a defense pact or alliance between Indonesia
\nand a number of East Asian countries would have been dismissed as
\noutrageously irrelevant and unworthy of attention. The idea of an
\nAsian defense pact remains irrelevant no matter whence it came
\nfrom, but by publicly mooting it, on more than one occasion, it
\ncannot be dismissed as a slip of the tongue. Mahfud has caused
\nirreparable damage by doggedly pursuing the idea, not only to his
\nown reputation and his office, but also the government. The idea
\nis difficult to ignore because of the consequences to the nation.<\/p>\n
A regional defense pact is a concept which has completely lost
\nits relevance with the end of the Cold War. To start one now is
\nsimply going against the global trend. Mahfud's reasoning that
\nthe pact was necessary to counter the United States for depriving
\nIndonesia of vital military spare parts is a sorry excuse that no
\nother country in the region would buy, even if they themselves
\nhave a bone to pick with Washington. His choice of allies in such
\na pact include Japan and Korea, who are currently the closest
\nallies of the U.S. in the region. It would take a lot of
\nconvincing, if it were even possible, to woo them away from the
\nU.S. which has given them a security umbrella for the past 50
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military Chief Adm. Widodo A.S. and Minister of
\nForeign Affairs Alwi Shihab have tried to contain the damage
\nwhich Mahfud's proposal was causing the government, by playing
\ndown the idea. But instead of backing down, Mahfud has persisted
\nto speak out about an Asian defense pact.<\/p>\n
It is clear, however, that setting up a defense pact is the
\nleast thing on his mind. His campaign was essentially aimed at
\nthe United States, with whom he does not enjoy a close rapport.
\nMahfud or his advisors in the ministry of defense may not like
\nsome of the things which have been said about Indonesia's defense
\nand security situations by United States officials, including
\nAmbassador Robert Gelbard, but his anti-American tirades are not
\ndoing any service to his personal reputation.<\/p>\n
Mahfud was one of the surprise appointments when President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid reshuffled his Cabinet in August. With no known
\nprevious experience on defense matters, many people questioned
\nthe appointment of the professor of public administration to such
\na prestigious Cabinet post. They doubted whether his background
\nand training would be sufficient to meet the responsibilities of
\nthat challenging job, one of which includes bringing the military
\nunder civilian control. Since Cabinet appointments are the
\nprerogative of the President, they were willing to give the
\nbenefit of the doubt, and allowed Mahfud to settle in his job.<\/p>\n
Mahfud's perseverance with the defense pact idea, and a few
\nother controversial remarks which he has made since he took up
\nthe Cabinet post in August, have only confirmed the worst about
\nhis capability. Some of his remarks, particularly with regard to
\nthe defense pact, were so off base that they showed ignorance,
\neither on the part of the minister or his advisors.<\/p>\n
It might be useful for Mahfud, at this stage, to reconsider
\nhis strategy and his style of leading the Ministry of Defense
\nbefore he causes further embarrassment to the country. Given his
\nlimited background in defense, it might be wise if Mahfud applies
\na moratorium on political statements until he fully masters the
\nsubject. No one says that administering the nation's defense is
\nan easy or simple task. Any person with Mahfud's background and
\ntraining would probably require more time than usual before he
\ncould speak on the matter with authority.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/defense-matters-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}