RI committed to fighting terrorism, says Matori

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil says Indonesia is committed to fighting against terrorism and it can do it without assistance from the United States.

"Indonesia has a strong commitment to fight terrorism because internal stability is required to promote a democratic country," Matori said during a press conference ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit on Thursday.

Powell, who started a six-nation visit to Southeast Asia in Bangkok on Monday, will arrive here later Thursday. On Friday, he is scheduled to meet with President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda and economic and security ministers.

In Singapore on Tuesday Powell said he would give Indonesia "some ideas and some initiatives" to help in the anti-terror campaign.

"I think they recognize the danger that we all face. I think that they have been cooperating more fully with us as time goes by, and I'm quite sure that Mrs Megawati is committed to this cause," Powell said.

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce said Tuesday that cooperation between Indonesia and the U.S. in the war against terror was taking place without much media publicity.

"We are pleased with the cooperation that we have had to date with Indonesia," Boyce said.

Matori said Indonesia's Military (TNI) was one of the strongest in Asia and so there was no need to ask for military assistance to crack down on suspected terrorist groups here.

"But if the U.S. wants to offer military assistance to Indonesia, it should be based on our needs," Matori said.

He further said that recent bomb attacks across the nation and sectarian conflicts in Maluku and Poso were indicative of terror activities in Indonesia.

However, he refused to say if such terror activities had links with international terrorist groups.

"Several neighboring countries have accused us of harboring international terrorist groups," Matori said.

A U.S. official said Wednesday that the U.S. government had devised a formula for helping Indonesia fight terrorists without violating congressional limits on military assistance by giving aid to Indonesia's police, rather than its military.

The administration of President George W. Bush is planning to provide US$16 million for counterterrorism exercises, but the training will be for Indonesia's police force rather than its military, as is normally the case with such aid, the official said.

The Bush administration also planned to spend $400,000 during the current fiscal year and next year to train civilians in anti- terrorism activities, said the senior U.S. State Department official, who is accompanying Secretary of State Colin Powell on his Asia tour.

Indonesians were also expected to be major participants in a $17 million Pentagon-administered program for what are known as "counterterrorism fellowships," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

U.S. legislation bars normalization of military ties between the two countries until the army demonstrates a commitment to greater civilian control and accountability. The curbs were first imposed by Congress in 1992 and strengthened in 1999 after the Indonesian military committed savage abuses against the East Timorese.

Powell said that a U.S. role in training the Indonesians could help the soldiers be more respectful of human rights considerations.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted late last month to lift curbs on U.S. military education programs. The Indonesian high command has welcomed the move.

But Kontras, Indonesia's most prominent human rights organization, called it dangerous.

Indonesian officials have acknowledged that al-Qaeda operatives began operations in Indonesia earlier this year.

Several of Indonesia's neighbors have complained that terrorists who have turned up on their shores have traveled there from Indonesia.

A senior administration official accompanying Powell acknowledged irritation this week over Indonesia's recent release of a Muslim militant leader who has acknowledged meeting Osama bin Laden.

He was ordered to await trial on charges of inciting religious violence.