Diplomacy and statesmanship
I decided to write this letter on Sept. 17 night while watching CNN and heard the recent quotes from Mr. Hamzah Haz regarding responses by the U.S. to the horrible attack on that country on Sept. 11, by Islamic extremists that evidence increasingly indicates had ties to Osama bin Laden. It is known that bin Laden, a Saudi citizen, organizes and finances terrorist activities from the seclusion of Afghanistan.
Eleven months ago, this same terrorist group attacked a U.S. warship in a port city in the Islamic country, Yemen. In that attack more than 25 U.S. sailors were killed, yet after Yemen and the U.S. uncovered evidence connecting the perpetrators to the bin Laden organization, the U.S. did not respond to Afghanistan. Rather, it respected the rights of Yemen to prosecute those apprehended and accused of complicity in the attack.
But who should prosecute the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on the World Trade Center in New York City where some 5,000 people lost their lives, including citizens from 27 countries. Leaders from around the world have expressed their sadness at the carnage wreaked by the attacks and support for the U.S. in its efforts to bring those responsible to justice. It is not surprising to see Christian, democratic countries offer this support.
But it has not been just those traditional allies standing up and voicing outrage over the attacks. In the Muslim community of countries, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE have also expressed their support and condemned the attacks. Even Libya has recognized the U.S. right to seek justice for those responsible.
It is understandable why Afghanistan and Iraq are not on that list, but I am curious why high ranking Indonesian officials such as Hamzah Haz and Amien Rais have chosen to align themselves with those two countries.
I do not believe that official responses to the U.S. concerning this tragedy should be influenced by the uneven support by the U.S. for Israel over Palestine. This is clearly an issue with all Muslim countries, but most of those countries also recall that it was largely a result of U.S. leadership that Serbia was finally stopped from executing its dreadful program of ethnic cleansing against Muslims in that country.
In the conduct of diplomacy and statesmanship, it is important to ensure that tone and content of official responses are suitable to the forum and situation. Soon Indonesia will be seeking relief from the Paris-based group of lenders and asking the IMF and the World Bank (not Iraq and Afghanistan) for more assistance with its complex economic problems. Would it not be better for Indonesia to stand up in the light with the other countries supporting the U.S. against this particularly horrendous attack and at the appropriate time and more appropriate forum express its displeasure at U.S. policy concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
RON
Jakarta