U.S. praises new Indonesia's move to thwart terrorism
U.S. praises new Indonesia's move to thwart terrorism
Olivier Knox, Agence France-Presse, Washington
President George W. Bush will praise Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri's nascent crackdown on militants when the two leaders meet in Mexico this weekend, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.
"Right now the signals coming out of Indonesia are fairly positive," said the official, who requested anonymity. "As of right now, I think the message will be one of encouragement."
The U.S. leader was to urge Megawati to pursue the fight against terrorism when the two leaders meet on Saturday in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum there.
In the past, Bush has led U.S. criticism of Indonesia for not taking a harder line against terrorism, including the recent carbombing that turned a packed tourist nightclub in Bali into a killing ground.
The official, briefing reporters about Bush's trip to the APEC forum, praised Megawati for the arrest of a Muslim cleric, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, thought to be the spiritual leader of a Southeast Asian radical Islamic group.
He also pointed to the passage of a tough security decree following the Oct. 12 car-bomb massacre in the resort island of Bali -- Southeast Asia's own version of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The blast, in which 190 people -- mostly foreign tourists -- have been confirmed killed and hundreds more wounded, dealt a severe blow to tourism and Indonesia's economy in general.
"It's unfortunate that this tragedy in Bali occurred, but I think it has helped galvanize" Indonesian action against terrorism, said the official.
"I think the Indonesian people have realized that there is a serious terrorism problem, and the government is beginning to take the steps to address that problem," said the Bush aide.
The official said Washington hoped to gradually beef up a pending program to train the Indonesian military, once concerns about human rights and about accountability for the 1999 carnage in East Timor.
"We do have serious concerns," he said. "That's why the program is starting out small. We hope to increase it in two or three years as we reach a comfort level with the Indonesians."
During a visit to Indonesia in early August, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell unveiled a U.S. pledge of more than US$50 million to help Jakarta battle terrorism.
The sum, to be disbursed over several years, includes $4 million in counterterrorism training for military officials and another $47 million for the national police.
"Indonesia faces serious problems and we can help them address those problems by making their military more professional," the official said.
In a 20-minute telephone call late last week, Bush and Megawati agreed the Bali massacre warranted a "swift and decisive response," according to the White House.