Bush happy with Indonesia's war on terrorism

Bush happy with Indonesia's war on terrorism

Agencies, Washington/Jakarta

U.S. President George W. Bush telephoned his Indonesian counterpart Megawati Soekarnoputri on Wednesday to congratulate her on her country's success in fighting terrorism, the White House said.

"The president emphasized his appreciation for Indonesia's excellent work in counterterrorism cooperation, including the investigation of the Bali bombings," said spokesman Ari Fleischer.

"He thanked President Megawati for her government's efforts to ensure the safety of Americans working in and visiting Indonesia," he was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.

"And the two presidents discussed the situation in Iraq and agreed that (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein must disarm in accordance with his (UN) Security Council obligations."

Details of the phone call however are sketchy. "It was a private conversation," spokesman to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post.

One of the other times the two leaders held a telephone conversation was a week after the Oct. 12 terrorist attack in Bali last year.

Megawati told Bush that she would seek "swift and decisive" action against the terrorists. Two bomb blasts flattened a restaurant and a disco frequented mainly by foreign tourists. At least 202 people died, most of them Australians.

Authorities said the culprits were guerrillas of Jamaah Islamiyah, a regional group said to be linked to the al-Qaeda network that carried out the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

But while Indonesia has gone tough on terrorists at home, Iraq's alleged terrorist links have been of little use in trying to secure some level of support here for Washington's war plans.

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce has said that his government understood Indonesia's position toward the Iraq crisis and did not expect its support for war.