Another theory on Al-Ghozi's death

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.