| In Indonesia, moderate Muslims have begun rediscovering their moderation as often violent support for Islamic extremists appears to have peaked. Tamalia Alisjahbana has collected 10,000 signatures for a petition against religious extremism that she plans to present to President Megawati Sukarnoputri. The petition opposes severing diplomatic relations with the United States and asks the government to protect foreign nationals in the country, after hundreds of U.S. and other foreign workers fled in fear over the angry protests. How nice. Where the hell were you when they were chasing the foreigners out of the country? How do you know we want diplomatic relations with you? It's amazing how a single successful military campaign can shift the onus of pleasing from one party to the other. It's about damned time somebody worried about "the volatile American street." |