RI committed to fighting terrorism, says Matori

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.