U.S. ready to help RI in Aceh reconstruction
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The United States will not confine its humanitarian mission in Indonesia to providing assistance to tsunami victims, but is also willing to help Indonesia in the reconstruction of affected areas, a top U.S. defense official said in Jakarta.
"One can't imagine what happened in Aceh. I think it's beyond the capacity of any government in the world to deal with this kind of catastrophe on its own. It's a big challenge to rebuild the whole area. The U.S. wants to take part in this humanitarian task, especially in the reconstruction of Aceh," U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said at a press conference at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta on Sunday.
"We are approaching Indonesian officials to know what kind of help they need from us," Wolfowitz, a former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, said.
The U.S., the world's sole superpower, has pledged US$350 million in government assistance for tsunami victims, and the U.S. public and businesses have raised another $350 million.
The U.S. was the first country to deploy its military to help tsunami survivors.
In addition to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, 25 naval warships, 57 helicopters and 14,000 military personnel have been deployed by the U.S. to the relief mission in Aceh and North Sumatra.
"So far, U.S. helicopters have flown more than 1,000 missions to Aceh. Around 2.3 million tons of goods (mostly food, water and medicines) have been transported," Wolfowitz, who visited Aceh on Saturday, said.
Wolfowitz, who met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and several ministers during his two-day visit to Indonesia, commended the U.S. servicemen and servicewomen for their exemplary role in helping hundreds of thousands of tsunami victims.
"The USS Abraham Lincoln was in Hong Kong on its way to California when the tsunami tragedy occurred (on Dec. 26). Admiral Fargo (the U.S. Pacific Naval Command chief) ordered the carrier to move to Aceh. The U.S. personnel, who were on their way to home, are very happy to help the tsunami victims," Wolfowitz said.
On the question of a possible improvement in military relations with Indonesia, Wolfowitz said the U.S. would reconsider its policies, including military ties, toward Indonesia following successful democratic elections in Indonesia and the appointment of a civilian defense minister.
"We need to think about how we can strengthen this newly elected democratic government, strengthen the democratic institutions and the civilian defense minister," said Wolfowitz, who is on a three-nation tour of tsunami-affected countries.
While acknowledging the negative impact of his country's military embargo against Indonesia during this catastrophe, Wolfowitz said the U.S. was finding ways to help the Indonesian Military respond to the tragedy.
"We're doing everything we can to strengthen the ability of the Indonesian Military to respond to this disaster," Wolfowitz said.
The U.S. partially lifted the military embargo by supplying spare parts for C-130 transport planes.
He said U.S. and Indonesian technicians were working to repair 15 of Indonesia's 24 C-130 air cargo planes to restore them to flying status.
The U.S. imposed the embargo after human rights violations in East Timor in 1999 during a UN-sponsored vote that saw the territory separate from Indonesia.
When asked about the possibility of the U.S. lowering tariffs on Indonesian goods entering the country, Wolfowitz said he had no authority to comment on the issue, but he welcomed plans by the European Union to cut tariffs on goods from tsunami-affected countries.
Indonesia and other countries affected by the tsunami paid $1.5 billion in tariffs to the U.S. government in 2004 alone. If the U.S. lowers tariffs on Indonesian goods, the government could divert some of its resources to rebuilding Aceh and North Sumatra.