U.S. military wants revival of training program for R.I.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The second highest ranking officer of the United
\nStates military asserted yesterday his desire to resume a
\ntraining program for Indonesian officers which was scratched by
\nCongress in 1992 after alleging that Jakarta had violated human
\nrights in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Admiral William Owens, the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
\nof Staff, expressed his desire to revive the International
\nMilitary and Education Training (IMET) fund to train Indonesian
\nofficers in the U.S.<\/p>\n
The IMET program to Indonesia was cut by Congress following
\nthe 1991 Dili incident in East Timor when over 50 people were
\nkilled in clashes between demonstrators and security forces.<\/p>\n
"From the military perspective, I am keen to proceed to find
\nways that we can re-establish IMET training, and to make it a
\npiece of our growing military to military cooperation," Owens
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Owens arrived on Wednesday to begin a five-day stay to discuss
\nmilitary issues of both mutual and regional concern.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Muddin Ma'ruf, a staff member of the Indonesian
\nArmed Forces Commander present at the meeting said Owens could
\nnot guarantee the resumption of the program but pledged his
\nsupport.<\/p>\n
Owens later told journalists that he would "argue strongly for
\nthat funding in the 1996 budget."<\/p>\n
The resumption of the program must be stipulated in the 1996
\nU.S. budget, which depends on Congressional consent. The 1996
\nbudget begins on Oct. 1, 1995.<\/p>\n
"Its not so much the amount of money, it's the spirit under
\nwhich the IMET training is done," Owens said.<\/p>\n
Military ties between Jakarta and Washington have passed an
\narduous period in the past four-years with Congress and the
\nSenate also blocking the sale of F-15 fighters from Jordan to
\nIndonesia and last year's restriction to sell small arms here.<\/p>\n
In response, Jakarta has turned to other countries, and most
\nnotably the recent blossoming of military cooperation with
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
When asked on the possibility of selling U.S. military
\nequipment to Indonesia, Owens said he was not here to sell
\nAmerican military equipment.<\/p>\n
"That's the Indonesian military's decision," he said.<\/p>\n
However, if such an interest was expressed, then Owens
\nasserted the need for both sides to commit to become good
\npartners.<\/p>\n
On the U.S. military presence in the region, Owens emphasized
\nthat Washington would maintain 100,000 troops in the Asia-Pacific
\nas a commitment to peace and stability. "We think that being here
\nwith our friends and allies in the Pacific, we can be an element
\nof a stable environment."<\/p>\n
"We recognize that our trade in America with this part of the
\nworld is growing and therefore, it is of great importance to us
\nto realize stability in this region as a U.S. national interest
\nas well as an interest to our allies in the region," he said.<\/p>\n
He added that such a presence no longer needed the
\nestablishment of a large military base like Subic Bay in the
\nPhilippines, which was closed in 1992.<\/p>\n
He said that modern military technology were easier to
\nmaintain.<\/p>\n
"We have been able to find ways logistically, and from a
\nmaintenance perspective, to manage without a base like Subic
\nBay," Owens remarked.<\/p>\n
Apart from discussing military matters, Vice President Try
\nSutrisno and Owens also discussed the emergence of Islamic
\nfundamentalism in various parts of the world, Ma'ruf said.<\/p>\n
"The vice president guaranteed that fundamentalism would not
\noccur in Indonesia," Ma'ruf said.(mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-military-wants-revival-of-training-program-for-ri-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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