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.