Australian Financial Review, Thursday, October 23, 2003
Bush Backs Off Jakarta Military Ties
By Andrew Burrell
Jakarta - US President George Bush yesterday backtracked from a promise to renew
military ties with Indonesia, telling President Megawati Soekarnoputri in Bali the US
Congress would not support the move.
Mr Bush told Mrs Megawati military relations could not resume until Jakarta had
completed a full investigation into the killing of two Americans near the Freeport mine
in Timika in Indonesia's Papua province last year.
In an interview on Indonesian television last week, Mr Bush said he planned to
discuss resumption of "mil-to-mil relations" with Mrs Megawati.
But in an unusual move, US administration officials intervened to say Mr Bush
"misspoke".
Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, said Mr Bush had promised yesterday
to try to convince Congress to agree to ties "when the Timika problem is finished".
A preliminary Indonesian police report into the killing of the US schoolteachers and
one Indonesian has found the Indonesian military might have been responsible.
During his Bali visit, Mr Bush strongly praised Indonesia's efforts in the war on
terrorism.
Speaking near the site of last year's Bali bombings, which spurred Indonesia to act
against its violent, home-grown Islamic extremists, Mr Bush praised Mrs Megawati for
her "leadership and friendship".
"President Megawati has confronted this evil directly. She was one of the first leaders
to stand with me after September 11," he said.
"Under her leadership, Indonesia is hunting and finding dangerous killers."
As jet fighters and warships patrolled as part of a massive security operation, Mr
Bush and Mrs Megawati discussed counter-terrorism before holding a working lunch,
also attended by several senior Indonesian cabinet ministers.
Mrs Megawati reiterated to Mr Bush that Indonesia wanted an opportunity to question
terrorism suspect Hambali, being held by the US in an undisclosed location.
Mr Bush also met three of Indonesia's moderate Muslim leaders: Hasyim Muzadi,
chairman of the country's biggest Islamic group, the 40 million-strong Nahdlatul
Ulama; Syafii Maarif, chairman of the second-largest Muslim group, Muhammadiyah;
and well-known academic Azyumardi Azra.
Mr Hasyim said he told Mr Bush that Muslims believed US foreign policy in the Middle
East was too pro-Israel.
"This will always be an obstacle, it will fuel emotion among Muslims," he said he told
Mr Bush.
Mr Hasyim said the President responded to his concerns by outlining his vision for a
Palestinian state, although he offered no time frame.
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