U.S. not the only arms source, analysts say

U.S. not the only arms source, analysts say

Tiarma Siboro and Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Military analysts cautiously responded to the United States'
decision to resume lethal arms sales to Indonesia, warning that
Jakarta may become trapped in Washington's foreign policy.

Andi Widjajanto of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) suggests that the government continue maintaining
relationships with other arms suppliers that had promised to help
Indonesia modernize its defense systems.

Dependency on a single country for military equipment, he
said, would cause problems in the future if Indonesia was
involved in a political rift with that country.

Andi, also a member of the civilian think-tank group at the
Ministry of Defense, says the lifting of the U.S. embargo would
enable the Indonesian Military (TNI) to repair its relatively
aging American-made weaponry.

"Of course Indonesia can save more on its defense budget once
it turns back to the U.S. because it will grant Indonesia
facilities, including a longer term of payment and lower interest
rate," Andi said on Thursday.

He added that the U.S. would offer a better credit export
facility than that proposed by Russia earlier this year.

"But if our concern is modernization of our armed forces, I
think Russian-made weapons can be the answer," Andi said.

Washington froze military cooperation with Indonesia in 1991
after a massacre of East Timorese mourners at Santa Cruz
cemetery, which the U.S. blamed on the Indonesian Military. The
embargo was extended due to allegations of human rights
violations linked to the military, again in East Timor, after the
1999 independence vote.

Following the ban, Indonesia desperately sought military
equipment from new sources.

The embargo has severely impacted the country's defense
system. Out of 34 military planes that Indonesia has procured
from the U.S., only five are still able to fly.

Despite strong objections from legislators, the government
purchased in 2003 four Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters for the
Air Force and two Mi-35 assault helicopters for the Army.

Following the visit of a defense ministry team to Moscow in
May, Indonesia and Russia have agreed on "a simple mechanism" for
arms deals in the future, which include Indonesia's plan to buy
12 more Sukhoi jet fighters, transport planes and missiles.

While, the Navy has turned to South Korea and some European
countries for the procurement of warships and patrol boats.

Ikrar Nusabakti of the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
said U.S. President George W. Bush should have come under
pressure from American arms producers who lost the Indonesian
market because the embargo.

"The arms suppliers may be surprised to find we're surviving
with weaponry from other sources. Of course, improving military
ties with Indonesia is essential for the U.S. in the so-called
global war against terrorism," Ikrar said.

He agreed that the change in the U.S. policy might decrease
the number of human rights abuse cases involving the TNI, and be
a boost for the peace deal struck with the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM).

Ikrar, however, reminded the government to make use of all
opportunities to procure the best and latest arms instead of
second-hand arms because the latter would cost the country a lot
in the long term.

The House approved a Rp 21.9 trillion (US$2.4 billion) defense
budget for this fiscal year, a slight increase from Rp 21.4
trillion last year. But only 30 percent of the total budget has
been allocated for maintenance, while the lion's share went to
soldiers' basic needs.