Business opportunities will arise if U.S. attacks Iraq

Business opportunities will arise if U.S. attacks Iraq

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Institute for Strategic Studies (LPSI) estimated
that vast business opportunities would arise for businesspeople
in natural resource rich-countries such as Indonesia if the U.S.
attacked Iraq.

"The business opportunities during the 1991 Gulf War were
recognized by neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia to
supply, among other things, mineral water, food and other
materials, except weapons, LPSI chairman Rudini was quoted by
Antara as saying here on Monday.

Rudini, who is a former home minister and Army chief of staff,
said that Indonesia had not anticipated the 1991 Gulf War,
especially since almost all of its intelligence agencies had
predicted that war would not happen.

He disclosed that businesspeople at the time lodged complaints
with the government they had missed the chance to exploit the
business opportunities that the war presented.

In the 1991 Gulf War, he said, there was a coalition of
500,000 soldiers who needed requisitions that Malaysia and
Singapore supplied.

To demonstrate the vast business opportunities for Indonesia
if the U.S. attacks Iraq, LPSI will hold a seminar titled "The
Impact on Indonesian Politics, Security and Economy in the Event
of a U.S. Attack on Iraq" in the middle of December. Several
businessmen and political observers will speak at the seminar.