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."