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| Southeast Asia |
| Australia warned against attacking terror targets |
| 2002-12-01 |
| Asian countries reacted with outrage and described as arrogant comments by Australian Prime Minister John Howard that he was prepared to strike pre-emptively against terrorists who use neighbouring Asian countries as bases to attack Australian interests. On Australian television on Sunday, Mr Howard suggested that the UN Charter be amended to permit a country to launch pre-emptive strikes against terrorists in other states. My surprise meter hasn't stirred off zero... Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marti Natalegawa said on Sunday that Australia had no right to take military action in other countries. 'Fortunately, states cannot willy-nilly flout international law and norms. We have to work within the system,' he told The Associated Press. Meg is worried somebody might come in and clean out the ratsnest in Ngruki, and then her own people are going to have to deal with the fallout. One might add that states do have an obligation to take strong action against groups within their countries who direct their actions against other countries. Harping on "international law" will lead to the laws and customs of warfare. Read up on "neutrality." Thailand's government spokesman Ratthakit Manathat said that any Australian request to conduct operations on Thai soil would require 'highly cautious consideration'. 'Nobody does anything like this,' he said. 'Each country has its own sovereignty, that must be protected.' Thailand doesn't think the problem really extends to itself, except for a few spots in the south, next to Malaysia... Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said governments must work together rather than one country acting unilaterally. 'It's not wise and it doesn't follow...the doctrine of peacekeeping and sovereignty,' he said. 'Sovereignty is not decided by fight, it's decided by right.' But alliances are established by treaty and perpetrated by adherence to the treaties. The Philippines has even less room to bitch than Indonesia — they've already said which side they're on. Mr Natalegawa said Jakarta understood Australia's 'horrific experience' in recent terrorist attacks -- including the bombings in Bali -- but 'in the fight against terror, no country can act above the law and norms. The change has to be decided by the 190-odd members of the UN and this is not easy'. That's another way of saying the UN's outlived its usefulness, isn't it? Indonesian legislator Alvin Lie said Mr Howard's statement, 'is very dangerous... Howard should learn to control himself,' he said. "Like us Indonesians do..." 'Indonesia and Australia are both victims. I strongly support increased cooperation among neighbouring countries to fight terrorism but not attacks.' Simple enough. If you kill them yourselves, then the Aussies won't have to do it for you... A spokesman for a left-wing group in the Philippines, |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |