Oily diplomacy

Oily diplomacy

The Bush administration, promiscuously invoking the war
against terrorism, is using its influence inappropriately to
assist an American oil company that has been sued for misconduct
overseas. The intervention reinforces the impression that the
administration is too cozy with the oil industry.

The case involves Exxon Mobil and its activities in the
Indonesian province of Aceh. The Bush administration weighed in
to discourage a lawsuit against the company filed on behalf of 11
Acehnese by the International Labor Rights Fund, a Washington
group. The suit alleges that the company knew about and did
nothing to stop murder, torture and other crimes by security
forces guarding its gas fields in Indonesia. Exxon Mobil says
Indonesia is responsible for security at the facilities. At Exxon
Mobil's request, the judge in the case asked the State Department
whether the case could adversely affect American interests. The
administration implausibly said the case could endanger
Indonesia's cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Coming the same week that Secretary of State Colin Powell
traveled to Indonesia to promise a partial resumption of military
aid -- which had been cut off because of the military's brutality
-- the administration's statement was an invitation to more
abuse, a sign that human rights could become a needless casualty
of the anti-terror campaign.

The suit concerns the behavior of Indonesia's military in
Aceh, site of a long-standing guerrilla war that continues in
part because of local anger over the military's brutal rampages.
The Bush administration argues that the lawsuit would alienate
Indonesia, even though the State Department has long been a sharp
public critic of the military's abuses in Aceh. It also argues,
improbably, that the suit could injure Indonesia economically.

In the wake of the Exxon Mobil opinion, another oil company,
Unocal, has won a five-month postponement of its trial involving
alleged misconduct in Burma. The delay will allow the judge to
consult the State Department. The Clinton administration had
already told a judge in the case that the lawsuit would not
adversely affect American foreign policy interests -- a logical
view, given that Washington already enforces an economic embargo
against Burma. Unocal clearly has reason to believe that the Bush
administration may see things differently.

-- The New York Times