Indonesia cautious on Iraq request on partner team

Indonesia cautious on Iraq request on partner team

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia has taken a cautious stance over an Iraqi request to
participate in a proposed independent team to work along with the
United Nations arms inspectors, who are scheduled to enter Iraq
in the coming weeks.

Saddam Hussein's special envoy, Humam Abdulkhaleg Abdul
Ghafoor, on Wednesday met with President Megawati Soekarnoputri
to ask Indonesia's participation in the proposed team, but
Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said the government
has not given any commitment.

Speaking to journalists after accompanying Megawati at the
meeting, Hassan said that Indonesia would like to find further
details on the proposed team before making a decision.

"Iraq hopes to set up a partner team to observe the work of
the UN inspectors to ensure the transparency of the inspection
process. They consider it is important that Indonesia take part
in that team," Hassan said.

"We said that we would like to know the mandate and details of
the team," he cited, adding that Indonesia cannot immediately say
whether to accept or deny the request.

When asked whether such a request indicated Iraq's doubt over
the independence of the UN arms inspector team, Hassan said: "It
is possible. That's why we need to have further details."

He said what he knew now was that the proposed team would
consist of respected individuals.

"They said that the idea to establish such a team came from
friends of Iraq, and did not come from Baghdad," Hassan told
journalists.

Meanwhile, Iraqi special envoy Ghafoor said he presented to
Megawati a letter from Saddam Hussein.

"The letter dealt with the relation with the UN security
council and the relation with the United States," Ghafoor said
after the meeting.

He said that the UN inspectors would see that Iraq had been
free from weapons of mass destruction and therefore, there was no
reason for the UN to maintain sanctions against his country.

The special envoy's visit came in the wake of the U.S. refusal
for the UN to send its team of inspectors to Iraq before the UN
Security Council adopted a much tougher resolution on Iraq.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, remains
aloof in the Iraq issue, maintaining its stance that there should
be no unilateral action from any country, including the United
States, against Iraq and all solutions should be pursued through
the UN.

Hassan said that Indonesia would support the dispatch of the
UN inspection team, but underlined that Iraq deserves for a fair
treatment and the respect for its sovereignty and dignity.