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.