Another theory on Al-Ghozi's death

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Asia News Network, Manila

The death of escaped Indonesian terrorist Fathur Rohman al- Ghozi represents the Philippine edition of the doctrine of preemption that has underpinned U.S. President George W. Bush's decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.

The philosophical rationale behind this doctrine says you should hit the suspected terrorist enemy before he harms you. In the case of Iraq, for example, the Bush administration decided to invade on the flimsy justification that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and that his regime has provided sanctuary to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

Months after the fall of Saddam, the Bush administration is hard put to present evidence on the WMDs and the link between Saddam and Osama bin Laden. What is now emerging is that Bush ordered the invasion on false pretenses. As a result, his reelection in 2004 is now in doubt. His popularity has taken a steep dive as the casualties of American occupation troops have risen along with the costs of reconstruction.

The killing of al-Ghozi is another application of the Bush doctrine. Thus, the U.S. president can be expected to express great pleasure over this development when he comes visiting this Saturday, never mind the controversy surrounding the killing of the top Jamaah Islamiyah operative.

Al-Ghozi's death has removed a security nightmare for the Macapagal administration during the Bush visit. Al-Ghozi was a critical test for the ability of the administration to fight terrorists. His removal does not make Jamaah Islamiyah less of a terrorist threat, but it does at least make up for the embarrassment caused by his escape from the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police.

On the eve of his departure for his six-nation Asian swing, which culminates in his participation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC summit in Bangkok, Bush told Singapore's Straits Times that terrorism would be the key focus of his visit. "There's no question that Southeast Asia has seen its share of violence from terrorist activities," he said. "One of the key agenda items on my trip is to discuss terror. And to remind people that we are dealing with cold-blooded killers."

Reports from Washington say that Bush is concerned over the activities of Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia. According to these reports, the United States has indicated that it believes some countries in the region have not been putting their weight behind the effort to combat terrorism. A retired American diplomat posted in Southeast Asia said, "Publicly, Mr. Bush will praise the Philippines and Indonesia, but privately he will express serious concerns."

Bush is also expected to press for contributions from Asian nations to the recovery effort in Iraq.

In Indonesia, Bush is scheduled to meet several key Muslim leaders, including those of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, to win over moderate Muslim groups. These two organizations, which have a combined membership of about 60 million, are seen as a bulwark against Islamic extremism.

The killing of al-Ghozi was greeted with relief by the rest of the region. His escape from the custody of the national police custody had raised fears of new bombing campaigns by Jamaah Islamiyah.

Bush's praise will be most welcome to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is seeking military and economic aid from the United States to boost not only the Philippines' capacity to combat terrorism but also her electoral chances in May 2004.