Indonesia leaders warn U.S. not to attack Iraq

Indonesia leaders warn U.S. not to attack Iraq

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted Muslim leaders, scholars and activists warned the United
States on Saturday against attacking Iraq, saying that a war
against Baghdad would only encourage radicalism and undermine
efforts to promote democracy, particularly in Indonesia.

In a meeting with U.S. under Secretary of State James A. Kelly
here on Saturday, Muslim leaders and scholars emphasized that any
attack against Iraq would invite chaos from the country's Muslim
masses.

"We asked him (Kelly) if the U.S. was a true friend of
Indonesia because if they say they are, then America should
support democratization here," activist Chusnul Mariyah said
after the meeting.

Aside from Chusnul, Muslim leaders and scholars Hasyim Musadi,
Nurcholish Madjid, Komaruddin Hidayat, Toety Alawiyah, Ulil
Abshar Abdalla and Ismail Suny were also attending the meeting at
the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce in
Jakarta.

The United States and its allies are sending troops to Middle
Eastern countries to be ready if a war with Iraq comes about, as
it may if Iraq fails to pass UN inspections for weapons of mass
destruction.

Some have speculated that the U.S. could attack Iraq on Jan.
27 when the United Nations inspection team is due to report to
the world body on whether or not Iraq has nuclear or chemical
weapons.

According to Chusnul, the Muslim leaders and scholars told
Kelly that a war against Iraq would provoke violations of civil
rights especially against women and children.

"That will be no help at all to the democratization here,"
Chusnul claimed.

Analysts had earlier warned that with the current shaky
political condition after the terrorist attacks in Bali, would
further exacerbate anti-western sentiment and would greatly
undermine the country's stability.

Muslim scholar Komaruddin Hidayat also told Kelly that
attacking Iraq would encourage radicalism to grow in Indonesia
and jeopardize political conditions in the country.

"The attack will cause instability in Indonesia, and in the
region, and it will be scary for all of us," Komaruddin said
after the meeting.

"Moderate Muslims here will lose their legitimacy should the
United States fail to prove that they are being fair in their
policy against Muslim countries," he stressed.

Kelly arrived here on Friday for a two-day visit as part of
his Asia tour that took him to China, South Korea and Singapore,
Indonesia and Japan to discuss the current situation in North
Korea and Iraq.

He met President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Coordinating Minister
for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda on Friday.