Asian Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2002
International Commentary
Next Stop, Southeast Asia
While the world waits to see where the U.S. will take the war on terrorism next, it is
clear that Iraq and Somalia are not the only possibilities. Southeast Asia stands out
as a major breeding ground for the forces of global instability. In the international effort
to root out terrorists wherever they may be hiding, expect the situation in this volatile
region to heat up soon.
The most immediate target is the Philippines, where as many as 650 American
combat troops -- including 160 from the elite Special Forces -- are headed later this
month to advise Filipino soldiers in their ongoing war with the Muslim separatists in
the southern provinces. The explicit goals are to end the two-year hostage crisis,
which includes two Americans, and to defeat the radical Islamic Abu Sayyaf rebels
once and for all. U.S. President George W. Bush already has promised Manila $100
million in military aid as a reward for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's support in
the war on terror.
Both governments have been careful to describe the coming U.S. presence as a
supervisory contingency and note that the two allies have held regular training
exercises together in the archipelago since World War II. Nonetheless, such a large
deployment of force, all the accompanying hardware and as many as 550 additional
U.S. support personnel represent a major commitment. It is also the first time joint
operations have been held in the Muslim-dominated south, where insurrection has
plagued the government for decades.
The operation's code name -- "Shouldering the Load Together," or Balikatan in
Tagalog -- hints at the seriousness of the joint military action. For the first time since
the Pacific War against Japan, Manila has given permission for U.S. soldiers to be
armed on the frontlines of battle on Philippine soil (though there is a vague
understanding that Americans will only fire in self defense). Yesterday, a joint
command committee of U.S. and Philippine officers was created to lead the operation,
which includes 1,200 Filipinos. One day earlier, Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo
Reyes said that the American ground forces might be in his country for as long as
one year.
The Philippines is not the only place in Southeast Asia that demands more U.S.
attention. For the first time since human-rights abuses in East Timor in 1999 cut-off
ties between Washington and Jakarta, the U.S. military is preparing to resume
training of Indonesian officers, including the possibility of sending American advisers
to Indonesia. An agreement to renew military-to-military exchanges was discussed
when President Megawati Sukarnoputri visited the White House a week after the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America; a loophole in counter-terrorism legislation
passed by the U.S. Congress in December created room to circumvent the sitting ban
on bilateral cooperation.
This is a positive development. Not only is engagement more successful at spreading
certain values than isolation, a better relationship with Ms. Megawati's secularist
government and Indonesia's military brass is a good way to strengthen their position
against the more radical strains of Islam at work in the world's most populous Muslim
nation. The strategic importance of Indonesia should not be overlooked. For example,
the Malacca and Singapore Straits, one of the world's most important trade routes,
cuts through Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. For months, U.S. Navy frigates have
been escorting ships supplying the war in Afghanistan through the straits with the
help of local officials.
As Dana Dillon and Paolo Pasicolan explain nearby, regional cooperation is the only
way to beat an enemy without borders. Terrorist groups have cells operating all over
the region; stamping them out cannot be a unilateral endeavor. A good example of
regional cooperation was shown between Malaysia and the Philippines after Nur
Misuari, the governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, led a November
revolt against Philippine military installations on the island. Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad's government arrested a fleeing Mr. Misauri at the border, denied
his request for asylum and shipped him back to the Philippines. All the while
intelligence was being shared between the two nations.
Malaysia and Singapore offered an even better example of a successful
intelligence-sharing partnership when they thwarted a terrorist plot last month. Last
Friday, the Singapore government announced that the 13 Jemaah Islamiah members
it arrested in December have links to Osama bin Laden and were planning strikes
against American targets in Singapore, including U.S. Navy ships.
One of those arrested was carrying a list of 200 U.S. corporations with offices in
Singapore. Forces which oppose expanding American influence in Southeast Asia
predictably play the sovereignty card, complaining of U.S. imperialist intentions.
Recent threats to U.S. interests in the region such as those in Singapore are enough
to negate such protests.
Bringing the war on terrorism to Southeast Asia carries unique complications. For
one, in many of these nations it can be difficult to distinguish between ethnic-based
domestic violence and radical groups that pose an international threat. Islamic
jihadists using machetes to hack off heads of their Christian neighbors in the Malukus
are an obvious problem, but at least for now may pose no threat outside their own
neighborhood. In many other cases, though, areas where these radical elements
flourish serve as safe havens and recruiting grounds for international terror groups.
When, where and what role the U.S. and other states can play in pressuring
governments in these situations are all important questions.
Al Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf and other Islamic terrorist groups are operating throughout
Southeast Asia. Victory against these elements can be furthered with a vastly
increased American role in the region. This will not always mean troops on the
ground, but it will necessitate the cooperation of regional governments. The recent
multilateral efforts against terror are a good start.
|
