Clinton has a message for RI

Clinton has a message for RI

Now in his last year in office, U.S. President Bill Clinton
had a friendly message for Indonesia when he was in the
Portuguese capital Lisbon recently, on a tour of some European
Union countries to inspect security conditions. After all, the
U.S. feels it is the world's chief sheriff.

Clinton carried a proposal in his pocket to shield European
countries with a "missile umbrella" against potential enemy
missile attacks from outside. Is he thinking of Cuba, China, Iraq
or India and Pakistan?

Surprisingly, at a news conference, also attended by the
Portuguese foreign minister, Antonio Guiterres, Bill Clinton
referred to Indonesia. He expressed sympathy for Indonesia's
efforts in restructuring its ailing economy. U.S. Ambassador to
Indonesia John Gilbert perhaps could be more specific on the
subject whether or not he (Clinton) raised the questions of human
rights and the outbreak of civil strife or corruption or trade
issues as when dealing with China.

Clinton will attempt to convince the Germans that the idea of
a missile curtain is worth considering. It is known that the
Germans are, on the other hand, very reluctant to have a U.S.
umbrella or any sort of protection which might remind them of the
Cold War era, and later have to pay for it.

Surely, what matters most to Bill Clinton getting on a
friendly footing with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. In
what ways can the U.S. assist Russia's development efforts,
including building up its defense system without the Russians
losing face after Chechnya? How different it was during the
Kennedy era when the Russians besieged (West) Berlin and the U.S.
had to construct an air bridge to supply Berliners with
essentials to avoid a missile confrontation. Why then, if Europe
is today more united and Germany more prosperous without the
Berlin Wall and after the painful process of unification and the
Deutsche Mark still strong, does the U.S. feels it still needs to
offer the Union of Europe a protective missile umbrella? I do not
know if this is related in any way to the nuclear
nonproliferation treaty still to be passed by the U.S. Congress.

I wonder, meanwhile, if it would not be more productive for
Bill Clinton to spend his remaining term of office on fishing
expeditions, in the Bahamas, for instance. Or spend nights in
Bali and get a chance to meet Indonesia's wizard presidential
masseur, Suwondo? Never mind that Interpol is looking for him
with a sniffer dog.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta