Defense matters
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.