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2003-04-14 Southeast Asia
Indonesia Turning to Russia for Arms
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Posted by Steve White 2003-04-14 09:07 am|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Megawati is so stupid and anti American that we should call her the Patty Murray of Indonesia.
Posted by mhw 2003-04-14 09:46:03||   2003-04-14 09:46:03|| Front Page Top

#2 There's been a slow, dark, unreported war going on in Borneo for the last 40 years. The local tribes hate Indonesian Muslims sent in to develop the island, frequently destroying local villages in the process. Brunei and Malaysia have quietly sided with the locals, and clandestinely supplied them with small arms and some training. Sarawak and Sabah, territories of the Republic if Malaysia, and Brunei, are former British enclaves on the northern coast of Borneo. The rest of the island has long been considered a part of Indonesia, and formerly of the Netherlands Indies, before the Dutch were expelled in 1949. Brunei's oilfields have made its sultan one of the richest men in the world, and have long been in the eyes of Indonesian leaders. There has long been animosity in the region, and I'm sure Malaysia would not be happy with significant upgrades to Indonesia's warfighting capabilities.
Posted by Old Patriot  2003-04-14 09:46:08||   2003-04-14 09:46:08|| Front Page Top

#3 Yet another former European colony mess that I have a feeling we will end up having to fix, hopefully with only diplomatic and economic tools.
Posted by OldSpook 2003-04-14 10:14:22||   2003-04-14 10:14:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Indonesia's got to be the worst tank country in the world. She's either a fool, or looking to supress her people. That's what Russian tanks are good for after all.
Posted by Yank 2003-04-14 12:22:02||   2003-04-14 12:22:02|| Front Page Top

#5 If she wants Russian tanks, I'm sure there are some lying around Iraq that we didn't blow up. Ok, they don't have that "new tank smell", but they have low miles and the warranty might still be good. ;)
Posted by Baba Yaga 2003-04-14 12:43:10||   2003-04-14 12:43:10|| Front Page Top

#6 Generals love tanks. They look really cool in parades, especially lined up facing government legislators in Jakarta.
Posted by john  2003-04-14 12:44:42||   2003-04-14 12:44:42|| Front Page Top

#7 Su-27's, S-300's. This is definitely a worry to us aussies. I have friends whose job descriptions are "Boss, Tactical Fighter force" and "Boss , Strike Wing"
Posted by Aussie Mike 2003-04-14 18:06:30||   2003-04-14 18:06:30|| Front Page Top

#8 Read a story that had Madame President Megwati betting with her head spook (an ex-general, to boot) over the length of the Iraq war. She bet it would be a long one. The general bet on short.

Not a great brain, Megwati, no...
Posted by mojo 2003-04-14 21:29:01||   2003-04-14 21:29:01|| Front Page Top

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