U.S. ready to help RI in Aceh reconstruction

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.