| Submit your comments on this article | |||
| Southeast Asia | |||
| Islamists warn on Aceh | |||
| 2005-01-10 | |||
A HARDLINE Indonesian Islamic group has attacked the presence of Australian aid workers in tsunami-devastated Aceh, as Labor raised concerns yesterday about their safety in the troubled province. Habib Rizieq Shihab, head of the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI), said Australian assistance in Aceh could herald the start of an East Timor-style intervention designed to secure independence for the troubled northern province. The Australian Government insisted yesterday it had no interest in any military involvement in Aceh and played down a threat of confrontation with the growing number of Islamist relief workers also flooding into the area. John Howard, in an interview on global news network CNN, ruled out any involvement by Australian troops in peacekeeping or arming troops on the ground. The Prime Minister said Australia was not interested in picking sides on Aceh, but was there "as a friend trying to give practical help". "We're not there in a military role, it's just that our military are there in a humanitarian role," he said. But Mr Shihab told The Australian he feared the presence of hundreds of Australian troops in Aceh would corrupt the province's strict Islamic culture.
| |||
| Posted by:tipper |
| #6 yes, and the deaths and maimings of ordinary people are on their hands because they fear and yes hate outside help. The bodies pile up and the carnage mounts and the response is either defiance or silence. Some call for even more blood to be spilled in the goal of evicting all those good helpers of other faiths or no faith at all because muslims are absolutely unable to trust or give credit to anyone outside their religion. They would rather kill and suffer themselves than acknowledge their utter failure to resolve their own problems using islam as a resource. |
| Posted by: peggy 2005-01-10 5:42:19 PM |
| #5 They can and do slap away helping hands all the time and they refuse the best help available because they decide that it is some plot or because they fear that western powers will suceed where islamic government has utterly failed. The perfect example of this is that polio outbreak in Nigeria in 2002/2003 and the subsequent brouhaha. The problem? Islamic clerics. Damned idiots. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-10 5:14:29 PM |
| #4 "He said thousands of his supporters were already in Aceh..... Islamic sharia law in force in Aceh, ....." The way I read this is.... We have our forces in place and the triggers points for attack are set. Watch Out!! |
| Posted by: TomAnon 2005-01-10 4:33:11 PM |
| #3 "I think when it’s seen what the humanitarian assistance we’re providing is actually doing for the communities, it’s a little unlikely that Islamic extremists would see advantage in attacking people who are providing that sort of help," Mr Downer said. I hate to burst this guys bubble, but yeah, Muslims would kill and maim those who have come to help them. They can and do slap away helping hands all the time and they refuse the best help available because they decide that it is some plot or because they fear that western powers will suceed where islamic government has utterly failed. See Iraq. Where is the only place in the world where peaceful unarmed humanitarian and election workers are targeted for death because they might suceed in helping muslims better than muslims can do for themselves? Iraq. But i'll be willing to bet that soon they will be targeted in all muslim regions and it won't surprise me at all if there are killings in Indonesia first. They will start killing those who are trying to help and they will keep upping the slaughter without any regard for decency, until all the western and therefore the most competant aid workers will be forced to leave and the muslims will get what they want ie only their own crappy incompetant stingy aid orgs will be left. If that happens, they will deserve all the lack and incompetance that they experience. |
| Posted by: peggy 2005-01-10 12:44:17 PM |
| #2 The words of Downer & Co may seem a little pollyanna, but... The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Group is just over the horizon. It contains a World of Hurt for anyone stupid enough to mess around with the US forces, and I'm sure, the Aussie forces, as well. I have zero doubt that they have an ROE for this mission and it isn't to lay back and enjoy it. AFAIK, no Navy ships sail outside of US waters without orders, ROE's, and lotsa munitions with delivery systems. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-10 10:54:05 AM |
| #1 Someone needs to put the Indonesian government on notice that they're going to have to choose between Islamofascism or help. "I was a little surprised to learn that we weren’t providing our own security on this occasion and we did raise those concerns with the Government." Guys, better get on the ball and get this straightened out quick, 'cause if any military personnel are attacked and killed, some people are going to be really, really mad, to say the least. And this also needs to be something that GWB should be looking into with our forces. If no government of any of the stricken countries can provide adequate security, then we need to either set something up promptly or get our personnel out of harm's way. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-10 10:45:51 AM |