Bush to show support for Megawati on war against terror

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang/Surabaya

Extraordinary security will mark the brief visit of United States President George W. Bush to the resort island of Bali on Wednesday for talks with Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Regional security issues such as terrorism, post-war Iraq and Palestinian issues will dominate the discussion of the two leaders.

Indonesian officials said the topics might also include last year's ambush in the Papuan district of Timika, which killed two Americans.

President Bush is scheduled to arrive in Bali on Wednesday morning and immediately hold bilateral talks with Megawati in a hotel near the Ngurah Rai International Airport.

After the meeting, the two Presidents will have lunch together before Bush holds a separate dialog with three Indonesian Muslim leaders.

Bush is expected to talk to the Muslim leaders about the U.S.- led war against terrorism, which has sparked criticism even among Muslim leaders known for their moderate stance,

Those leaders had condemned the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the U.S. and shown full support for the antiterrorism drive.

Bush will visit Indonesia for no less than three hours, before flying on to Australia.

The New York Times reported security concerns as the main factor that would limit Bush's visit here, as the predominately Muslim country was initially scrapped from the U.S. President's itinerary.

The newspaper quoted an official at the White House as saying that it was all part of the "trip to al-Qaeda hell" reflecting the perception that Indonesia was a terrorist hotbed.

It said it was upon Bush's personal insistence that the U.S. secret service allowed him to make the stop-over in Bali, which was rocked by a huge blast last year that claimed 202 lives.

"We need to show her (Megawati) support. We're just going to show her that support very quickly," one of Bush's aides was quoted by the Times as saying in its Oct. 15 edition.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that the two governments had settled all security arrangement for the visit.

"All security arrangements have been decided on and the discussion will focus on the bilateral relations, not merely on terrorism," Susilo said.

The Indonesian security authorities have prepared thousands of personnel, four warships and four U.S.-made F-16 warplanes, that have been on standby since Sunday for the visit.

Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh said the warships would provide radar cover around the waters off Bali island at all times.

"They will stay in the waters around Benoa Port to alert all passing ships and to provide security during the visit," Sondakh said.

There have been reports that two U.S. warships, along with thousands of soldiers and helicopters, will also be on alert around Bali's waters.

However, voices of skepticism continued to be heard as to the importance of the visit.

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid alleged on Monday that Bush had a hidden agenda which may have nothing to do with the U.S. support for Megawati's antiterrorism drive.

"We should take a look at the meaning of the visit carefully. The U.S. has always distrusted Muslims, especially in the Iraq case," Gus Dur, as he is better known, said in Semarang.