Armies launch ASEAN offensive
Armies launch ASEAN offensive
Just a week after the leaders of ASEAN waffled over concrete
steps against terrorism, the region's top army commanders showed
more unity and efficiency. All 10 of the generals met in Manila,
for only the second time in ASEAN's history.
The remarkable feature of this military co-operation is that
-- so far, at least the men in green are not asking for either
special powers nor baskets of money. Nor does the plan seem
likely to obstruct honest citizens or tourists. Rather, the
military men have taken practical steps that could make the
region safer, without restricting civil liberties or the mood
towards expanding freedoms.
The regional militaries will work together to gather, collate,
share and act upon terrorist information. They will form a
limitless network of bilateral and multilateral groups.
Nothing but hard work lies ahead. If their plans are
successful, citizens of ASEAN will never know it. The plan is to
discover, root out and trample terrorists and their cells before
they threaten anyone. The ASEAN armies have the ability to
prevent cross-border operations by extremists.
The generals say they have the will. This is the important
part. Terrorists and other dangerous groups drug traffickers,
bandits, kidnappers have exploited international borders.
The generals will begin with table-top simulations of possible
terrorist attacks. There are no shortage of possibilities, from
mass murders by Abu Sayyaf and the New People's Army of the
Philippines, to bombers in Jakarta, to mass killings of villagers
by Burmese drug dealers.
The idea of such war games is to evaluate the speed and
efficiency of information, as much as testing responses. Once a
terrorist attack is under way, the army can only respond, usually
in the role of disaster relief. This new program will put
intelligence gathering and response times to the test as details
emerge of the terrorists' plans before a catastrophe.
The plans for ASEAN military action will, and should, bring
contact outside the region. Adm. Dennis Blair, the U.S. Pacific
commander, said last week his country would like to sit in on any
anti-terrorist planning.
No single action or group is going to end extremism or
violence. But the 10 ASEAN army chiefs should have full support
as they start a serious campaign to make life tough for drug
traffickers, international criminals and terrorists.
-- Bangkok Post