RI evacuates nonessential embassy staff from Iraq

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian government has begun evacuating its non-essential embassy staff and their families from Baghdad, in the face of a possible U.S. attack on Iraq.

The evacuation began this week, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Wednesday.

In addition almost half of the 77 Indonesians living in Iraq had accepted flights home provided by the Indonesian government, Marty said.

"We are also preparing a contingency plan for our citizens living in Iraq's neighboring countries for an immediate evacuation should the war erupt."

Indonesia has around 33,000 citizens, mainly migrant workers, in Middle East countries such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

The contingency plan includes helping the citizens secure transit visas before returning to Indonesia.

"The citizens will be transferred by land to the neighboring countries, before flying back to Jakarta. That's why we need the transit visa," Marty said.

He denied speculation that the contingency plan reflected a distrust of the capabilities of the countries to ensure the safety of Indonesian citizens.

"In times of war we have to prepare measures to save our citizens."

The country has been bracing itself for a possible attack on Iraq since the U.S. began flexing its muscles in the region.

U.S. President George W. Bush is slated to announce its plans in front of congress on Jan. 28, a day after United Nations arms inspectors submit their report on Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.

The world is anticipating the worst-case scenario of Bush declaring a war against Baghdad. The war will spark a wave of anti-American opposition in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.

Jakarta has also prepared a task force to anticipate all consequences of the U.S. attack on Iraq. A government official said former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. (ret). Widodo A.S. would lead the task force.

The official said the team would be announced next week. They will have the authority to observe all possible impacts of the war on the safety of Indonesian citizens.

"The team will carry out the evacuation of our citizens in Iraq and its neighboring countries, and handle possible security disturbance in the country as a result of the war," the official told The Jakarta Post on condition of anonymity on Wednesday.

In the wake of increasing tension in Iraq and its neighboring countries, the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration has issued a circular ordering all labor export companies to suspend operations to the Middle East from Feb. 1. The circular says companies who violate the order will be punished.

Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea said on Wednesday the decision was taken after consulting with Indonesian ambassadors to Middle East countries.

But the move has raised the eyebrows of ambassadors of some Middle East countries in Indonesia, according to chief patron of the Indonesian Employing Agencies Association (Idea) Malik Aliun.

Malik said Wednesday he had met the foreign envoys following the release of the circular and had been assured the countries would provide security guarantees for Indonesian workers during any war.

"They could understand if the policy applies only in Iraq," Malik said.

He said there should have been no fear of continuing labor exports to Middle East countries as it was business as usual there, with haj pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia continuing and no commercial flights to the Middle East suspended.