OK to slam U.S. attack but rallies must be contained: Observers

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia should strongly condemn the United States if it unilaterally attacks Iraq but also firmly deal with any domestic violence triggered by such an attack, experts said on Saturday.

Noted analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar, legislator Yasril Ananta Baharuddin of Golkar and Firiani Sophiaan Yudoyoko of the University of Indonesia said the government should oppose the U.S. plan as it violated international law and the tenets of democratization.

But they also said the government should not hesitate to take firm legal action against anyone who threatened or damaged foreign assets out of anti-U.S. sentiment so as to help maintain foreign investor confidence in the country.

"The government must take such action even though it will face difficulties in handling increasing anti-American sentiment and street rallies if the U.S. goes ahead and attacks Iraq," Dewi told The Jakarta Post.

She said the government should also deploy more security personnel to guard foreign assets like embassies and other facilities.

"It's the police's duty to guarantee the security of everyone here, whether locals or foreigners," she said.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is heavily dependent on the U.S for investment and exports.

Dewi went on to say that the government should increase its lobbying of the U.S to abandon its planned attack on Iraq as this would not only create worldwide opposition against America but also produce various local conflicts in many countries.

The government should also actively encourage the United Nations (UN) to take immediate action to prevent the U.S. from attacking Iraq, Dewi said.

Meanwhile, Yasril said the government should intensify its lobbying of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OCI), developing countries, the UN, and other countries so that the U.S. attack could be thwarted.

"We must play a significant role in stopping the war. It will not only affect Iraq but also our own country," he said.

However, Firiani said the government might only be able to protest against the U.S. government plan as Indonesia's options were limited.

"If the government lobbies the U.S, the latter most probably will not listen to us. If we boycott them, this would only backfire on us as we badly need their investment," she explained.

Therefore, she said, the government should optimize its efforts in handling anticipated street rallies against the U.S.

"The government will need some fancy footwork so that it can accommodate the Muslim desire to protest against the U.S. plan but at the same time minimize the impact of the expected rallies against America," she said.

The U.S. Congress's green light for the use of force against Iraq boosted President George W. Bush's hand on Friday in the UN Security Council, with Iraq replying that it was ready to respond to any U.S. attack "within the hour."

The U.S. Congress gave Bush authority early on Friday to go to war against Iraq, citing the "continuing threat" posed by Baghdad's alleged weapons buildup.

Meanwhile, a UN weapons' inspection team will go to Iraq next week to carry out another probe.