'Troops ready for Afghanistan'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government would make a strategic assessment on whether to allow Indonesian troops to join the UN-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan if such forces were requested, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil said on Wednesday.

Such an assessment would immediately be carried out if the UN were to formally ask Indonesia to join a peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country, Matori said during a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission I for defense and security.

"Indonesia will only send peacekeeping troops based on a UN request which is approved by the two warring sides," he said.

Indonesia, with an estimated 85 percent of its 203 million population being Muslims, is known to be among those countries that would be qualified to join any UN peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.

Such a strategic assessment would, among other things, determine whether Indonesia could significantly contribute to building peace in Afghanistan.

"So, if the Indonesian troops would be of little use, then we'd better drop the plan," Matori said.

Other subjects to be assessed included the number of troops, the funding available, the command structure, the envisaged time period as well as the entry and exit strategies.

Responding to a statement made by U.S. Pacific fleet commander Adm. Dennis Blair that Indonesia had begun training some 700 soldiers to be sent to Afghanistan, Matori refused to either confirm or deny the statement.

"We have a high-speed reaction force that is ready to be sent to any Indonesian region at any time. I think they would also be ready to be sent to Afghanistan at any time," Matori said.

Some legislators have questioned whether any troops that might be sent to Afghanistan would be part of a peacekeeping force or a peacemaking force. They also expressed their opposition to any participation by Indonesian troops in a peacemaking force as Indonesia would have to shoulder some of the burden of financing the mission, and this would be costly for the country's troubled economy.

Aisyah Aminy, a legislator from the United Development Party (PPP), warned the government to think carefully before committing Indonesian troops to any international mission in Afghanistan.