Fri, 27 Oct 2000

Defense matters

Had it not come from Minister of Defense Mahfud MD, the proposal to forge a defense pact or alliance between Indonesia and a number of East Asian countries would have been dismissed as outrageously irrelevant and unworthy of attention. The idea of an Asian defense pact remains irrelevant no matter whence it came from, but by publicly mooting it, on more than one occasion, it cannot be dismissed as a slip of the tongue. Mahfud has caused irreparable damage by doggedly pursuing the idea, not only to his own reputation and his office, but also the government. The idea is difficult to ignore because of the consequences to the nation.

A regional defense pact is a concept which has completely lost its relevance with the end of the Cold War. To start one now is simply going against the global trend. Mahfud's reasoning that the pact was necessary to counter the United States for depriving Indonesia of vital military spare parts is a sorry excuse that no other country in the region would buy, even if they themselves have a bone to pick with Washington. His choice of allies in such a pact include Japan and Korea, who are currently the closest allies of the U.S. in the region. It would take a lot of convincing, if it were even possible, to woo them away from the U.S. which has given them a security umbrella for the past 50 years.

Indonesian Military Chief Adm. Widodo A.S. and Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab have tried to contain the damage which Mahfud's proposal was causing the government, by playing down the idea. But instead of backing down, Mahfud has persisted to speak out about an Asian defense pact.

It is clear, however, that setting up a defense pact is the least thing on his mind. His campaign was essentially aimed at the United States, with whom he does not enjoy a close rapport. Mahfud or his advisors in the ministry of defense may not like some of the things which have been said about Indonesia's defense and security situations by United States officials, including Ambassador Robert Gelbard, but his anti-American tirades are not doing any service to his personal reputation.

Mahfud was one of the surprise appointments when President Abdurrahman Wahid reshuffled his Cabinet in August. With no known previous experience on defense matters, many people questioned the appointment of the professor of public administration to such a prestigious Cabinet post. They doubted whether his background and training would be sufficient to meet the responsibilities of that challenging job, one of which includes bringing the military under civilian control. Since Cabinet appointments are the prerogative of the President, they were willing to give the benefit of the doubt, and allowed Mahfud to settle in his job.

Mahfud's perseverance with the defense pact idea, and a few other controversial remarks which he has made since he took up the Cabinet post in August, have only confirmed the worst about his capability. Some of his remarks, particularly with regard to the defense pact, were so off base that they showed ignorance, either on the part of the minister or his advisors.

It might be useful for Mahfud, at this stage, to reconsider his strategy and his style of leading the Ministry of Defense before he causes further embarrassment to the country. Given his limited background in defense, it might be wise if Mahfud applies a moratorium on political statements until he fully masters the subject. No one says that administering the nation's defense is an easy or simple task. Any person with Mahfud's background and training would probably require more time than usual before he could speak on the matter with authority.