Boyce raps Hassan over Iraq criticism

Boyce raps Hassan over Iraq criticism

Reuters, Jakarta

In unusually blunt remarks, U.S. Ambassador Ralph Boyce said on
Tuesday that Indonesia's strong criticism of Washington's Iraq
policies should be kept to the proper channels and not aired in
public.

Reacting to criticism on Monday from Foreign Minister Hassan
Wirayuda, Boyce said he regretted and was disappointed by the
harsh words from Jakarta.

Hassan told an Asia-Pacific security conference on Monday that
the U.S. occupation of Iraq had not met objectives and was
becoming a debacle.

"I was not alone in being surprised and disappointed and maybe
even a bit baffled by his use of that forum to present such a
strong message," Boyce told an American business group.

"I really do regret the deviation from what I think has been a
successful policy in recent years between our two governments to
try to keep our disagreements more in private channels."

The comments were "contradictory to what they know to be U.S.
objectives in Iraq," Boyce said.

Washington is keen to keep Indonesia -- the world's fourth
most populous nation and the Muslim world's most populous one --
as an ally in its war on terror.

It has had some success in getting Jakarta on board in
regional efforts, but both the intervention in Afghanistan and
the invasion of Iraq brought widespread Indonesian criticism.

Government comments became relatively muted after Baghdad
fell, but on Monday Hassan had attacked U.S. policies at length
and said if trends in Iraq continue "that would make the war in
Iraq a debacle to the cause of security and peace".

Boyce said he found it ironic that while criticizing U.S.
policy, Hassan also called for democracy in Iraq and for making
it a country at peace with its neighbors and a force for
security.

"Laudable objectives, none of which we would be debating today
had we followed Hassan's preferred multilateral approach which
for 12 years and 17 UN Security Council resolutions failed to
change the situation."