The Sydney Morning Herald, January 13, 2005 - 9:32AM
US carrier leaves Indonesia
The aircraft carrier leading the US military's tsunami relief effort has steamed out of
Indonesian waters after the country declined to let the ship's fighter pilots use its
airspace for training missions.
The USS Abraham Lincoln's diversion, which was not expected to affect aid flights,
came as the White House asked the Indonesian government to explain why it appears
to be demanding the US military and other foreign troops providing disaster relief leave
the country by the end of March.
"We'll seek further clarification from Indonesia about what this means," said Scott
McClellan, press secretary to US President George W Bush.
"We hope that the government of Indonesia and the military in Indonesia will continue
the strong support they have provided to the international relief efforts so far."
The Indonesian government said foreign troops would be out of the country by March
31.
"A three-month period is enough, even sooner the better," Indonesian Vice President
Jusuf Kalla said.
News of the deadline came on the eve of the arrival in Banda Aceh of another 400
Australian troops on the HMAS Kanimbla.
Army engineers on board - equipped with earthmoving equipment and landing craft -
will rebuild roads and bridges along Aceh's shattered west coast and help speed aid
delivery into the region.
The troops, who arrive on Friday, will bring Australia's military contingent close to 900.
That compares with the more than 6,000 US military personnel from the aircraft carrier
USS Abraham Lincoln and the Marine amphibious assault ships USS Bonhomme
Richard and USS Duluth.
US Marines have scaled back their plans to send hundreds of troops ashore to build
roads and clear rubble. The two sides reached a compromise in which the Americans
agreed not to set up a base camp on Indonesia or carry weapons.
Instead, the Marines - about 2,000 of whom were diverted to tsunami relief from duty
in Iraq - will keep a "minimal footprint" in the country, with most returning to ships at
night, said Colonel Tom Greenwood, commander of the 15th Marine Expeditionary
Unit.
The moves highlight sensitivities in Indonesia about foreign military forces. The
Indonesian military has warned that areas of tsunami-battered Aceh province may not
be safe for aid workers, underscoring its efforts to regain control of the long-troubled
region on Sumatra island.
Indonesia - where the December 26 disaster killed more than 106,000 people - is not
the only affected country that is ambivalent about US military aid.
After the earthquake and tsunami, the US military dispatched the Abraham Lincoln
battle group to Sumatra and three ships carrying Marines toward Sri Lanka, where
more than 30,000 people were killed. But two ships carrying Marines were diverted to
Sumatra after Sri Lanka downgraded its request for help. India, where more than
10,000 were killed, rebuffed US aid offers.
About 13,000 US military personnel, most of them aboard ships in the Abraham
Lincoln's battle group, are taking part in the relief effort.
In Indonesia, hundreds of troops from other nations are also helping out, along with
UN agencies and scores of non-governmental aid groups.
Japan has sent two ships with 350 troops, and has promised to deploy about 1,000.
Germany and Britain each has a smaller presence, involving mostly medical teams.
They have agreed not to carry weapons while on Indonesian soil.
Aceh province is the scene of a decades-old conflict between separatist rebels and
government troops, though both say they won't launch attacks during the tsunami
emergency.
The Indonesian government has traditionally barred foreigners from visiting Aceh,
relenting after the tsunami struck and no other option existed but to invite foreign
troops to deliver aid and set up field hospitals.
Indonesian authorities are now moving reassert control. They ordered aid workers to
declare travel plans or face expulsion from Aceh, saying it was for their safety.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard described the demand as "a good idea".
But Australian National University defence expert Clive Williams said the Indonesians
want to keep close tabs on foreigners to conceal corruption.
"The big problem with dealing with (the military) in Aceh is that they're involved in a lot
of corruption there and the reason I think they don't want people to go to some areas
is because they're involved in human rights abuses," Williams said.
UN officials worried the new rules might delay the delivery of supplies.
"Any requirements that would create any additional bottlenecks or delays or otherwise
adversely affect our operations need to be reviewed very carefully," said Kevin
Kennedy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
© 2005 AP
Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.
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