Homework awaits President Megawati

Homework awaits President Megawati

Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Sunday
concluded her visit to New York, Tunisia and Libya with positive
results.

At least, Megawati's address at the UN General Assembly and
her visit to Libya will immensely benefit the country.

Before the UN General Assembly, Megawati raised the problem of
terrorism, which has disturbed the lives of the world community.

Unlike other world leaders, the Indonesian president did not
only speak of the impact of terrorism but she also touched on the
root of terrorism itself.

In Megawati's judgment, unfair treatment by Western countries
of the Palestinian nation is one of the reasons for the emergence
of radicalism, which has finally led to terrorist acts.

Meanwhile, her visit to Libya has indicated how much we care
for that country, which has been enduring a terrible destiny.

Through its leader, Moammar Qaddafy, Libya has also shown it
wants to cultivate closer ties with Indonesia.

Megawati has homework to do to make her foreign trips even
more essential.

So far, the first steps made by the President are not
frequently followed by the actual programs.

Our weaknesses are sometimes seen as trivial because we
concentrate too much on big matters without "a sense of detail".

The president's homework is to remind her cabinet members to
follow up every policy she makes.

Another important homework the President has to do is to
settle domestic problems, such as the preparations for next
year's General Elections.

-- Kompas, Jakarta
;EPT;
Anpak..r..
Airlines-USA-anti-missile
Anti-missile system for airliners
JP/6/

Anti-missile system for airliners

The move by the Bush administration to spend US$100 million to
begin establishing an anti-missile system for commercial planes
is good news.

That's $40 million more than the administration was expected
to request. And it does reflect attention to the mounting concern
that terrorists could try to use shoulder-fired rockets to shoot
down a passenger plane. ...

It is no secret that hundreds of these types of missiles are
for sale worldwide.

And it's no secret that this would be the kind of attack that
appeals to those who sent airliners crashing into the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon killing nearly 3,000 people.

Because the money would be spent over two years in two phases,
critics such as Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have said it's too
little and the timetable is too slow. Schumer has proposed $10
billion to equip the nation's commercial planes with anti-missile
systems.

But each undertaking in defense begins with a single step.
This is the first move in securing this kind of protection for
the thousands of people who fly daily across the United States
and around the world.

We're glad we're taking it.

-- El Paso Times, El Paso, Texas