U.S. Navy will maintain its grip in SE Asia

U.S. Navy will maintain its grip in SE Asia

Agencies, Singapore

The U.S. Navy plans to keep a strong presence in Singapore and the region as a visible sign of the war on terror, a top Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships increasingly use Singapore's Changi Naval Base for refueling and re-supply, although no vessels and only a few hundred American military personnel are based in the island republic.

"You will continue to see a Navy presence here in this area," U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Gordon England, told members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

"The presence of our Navy here (is) an outward sign of our ties to Singapore, and to help the stability and the security of this area."

Singapore revealed last month it had detained 14 citizens and one Malaysian suspected of links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, blamed by Washington for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Two have since been released.

England, who was sworn in as Navy Secretary last May, said around 100 U.S. warships had visited the Changi facility since its new deep draft naval pier was opened in March 2001, including five U.S. aircraft carriers.

The pier at Changi Naval Base is one of only two in the region large enough to berth an aircraft carrier. The other is at Port Klang in Malaysia.

"I'm pleased with our joint commitment in this war against terrorism," England said.

"I particularly appreciate the great job the Singapore government did last December when this terrorist cell was broken up here because these were people determined to do a lot of damage right here -- not just to the city of Singapore but to our naval people."

The 13 suspects still being held in Singapore allegedly were plotting to blow up a shuttle bus ferrying U.S. military personnel and to bomb U.S. naval vessels off the island state, the government said.

"We do need a safe and secure area here, and that's a very good sign by the government of Singapore to make this a safe and secure area for our sailors and for those who have businesses here," England said.

"Its important that every single nation drain the swamps that breed terrorism."

Allies in the U.S.-led war to stamp out global terrorism must prepare for a long and sustained campaign that could last for decades, England said. .

Reiterating President George W. Bush's public statements that the United States will spare no effort to fight terrorism, England said all nations were expected to contribute to the anti- terror campaign.

"I'll just again comment (on) what the president has said. All nations have to cooperate in this endeavor," England told reporters after speaking to the local American Chamber of Commerce.

"This is a worldwide problem and all nations in the world have to be part of this coalition to eliminate this evil in the world."

Dozens of alleged militants have been arrested in Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia but no one has yet been held in Indonesia -- the world's biggest Muslim nation -- and analysts have described Jakarta as a weak link in the region's efforts to counter the terrorist threat.

England declined to comment directly on Indonesia's contributions in the global campaign against terrorism, but said every country was expected to play its part.

"Well, I don't know specifically about their effort," England said when asked whether Indonesia was doing its best to root out alleged terrorist cells in its territory.

"(But) you cannot have breeding grounds for terrorists anywhere in the world. This is a problem that you absolutely must be successful at 100 percent.

"This applies to all nations around the world because all nations are vulnerable to this threat."