In this issue:

ASEAN Sub-Group Denounces War on Iraq, Demands Fair Trade, Not Free Trade

LaRouche Leadership Against Iraq War Highlighted in Malaysia

U.S. Ambassador Closes Jakarta Embassy Without Notifying or Consulting With Indonesia

Philippines President Orders Evacuation of Filipino Workers in Iraq

Speaker of the House in Philippines Recommends Security Link Between ASEAN, Shanghai Six

Vietnam, China Discuss Transportation

Indonesia Foreign Minister: War on Iraq Without Palestinian Solution a War on Islam

Is Karzai Ouster Imminent?

From the Vol.1,No.28 issue of Electronic Intelligence Weekly
Asia News Digest

ASEAN Sub-Group Denounces War on Iraq, Demands Fair Trade, Not Free Trade

According to the Sept. 12 issue of Xinhua, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) has released a communiqué on 9/11 denouncing a war on Iraq and demanding fair trade, not free trade.

The unusually strong statement from the ASEAN group (which includes only eight of the 10 ASEAN nations— Myanmar and Brunei have no Parliaments) said, "ASEAN is opposed to any unjustified and unprovoked military action against Iraq." The communiqué from the 23rd General Assembly of AIPO, held in Hanoi, also affirmed unity against terrorism, but "through an integrated and comprehensive approach taking into account poverty, inequality and discrimination," a formulation which is typical of Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir.

On trade issues, the communiqué hit at developing countries' "vulnerability to the adverse effects of globalization and the need for not only free but also fair trade, and the removal of non-tariff barriers such as using environmental protection as leverage." It promoted strengthening the ASEAN plus 3 and broader East Asian cooperation.

LaRouche Leadership Against Iraq War Highlighted in Malaysia

The leading Malay-language paper, Beripa Harin, on Sept. 3 ran a story datelined London, which reported at length on Lyndon LaRouche's analysis of Sept. 11 and the role of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the "Clash of Civilizations" policy.

On the same day, the New Straits Times, the semi-official English-language paper, ran a letter to the editor from LaRouche friend Kassim Ahmad, lambasting the Bush Administration drive for war on Iraq. Kassim called for the world's people to "arise and speak! Speak with one voice to oppose the Anglo-American-Israeli bloc's march to wars and civilization's doom! Firmly reconstruct the bankrupt world financial system, revive the world economy through great infrastructure projects, as proposed by the humanist American economist and politician, Mr. Lyndon H. LaRouche, and work together to build a peaceful, secure and just world, free from colonialism and imperialism."

U.S. Ambassador Closes Jakarta Embassy Without Notifying or Consulting With Indonesia

According to the Jakarta Post, U.S. Ambassador Ralph Boyce is not winning friends in Indonesia. His sudden declaration of the closing of the Jakarta embassy and the Surabaya consulate, allegedly based on a "credible and specific" threat to those facilities associated with the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, has provoked statements from both the Coordinating Minister for Security Affairs and the Foreign Ministry, which lamented Boyce's actions as "a unilateral decision," meant to give the false impression that Indonesia is incapable of ensuring security for foreigners and their assets.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa expressed regret at Boyce's decision, saying his Ministry had never received an official notification from the U.S. about the closings. Noted Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra said the closings implied Indonesia failed to provide security for foreigners and that terrorists were at large in the largest Muslim nation in the world.

Ambassador Boyce compounded his insult to Indonesia, by telling foreign correspondents and businessmen at a meeting in Jakarta that American investors interested in Indonesia should wait for the government's announced plan of economic reforms to begin to show signs of being implemented more rapidly, pointing out the need for reforms in the judicial, legal, financial, and corporate sectors. Boyce was quoted by the Jakarta Post as telling his audience, "Privately, I don't need to tell American investors about that. They already know it.... But in the absence of the implementation of the government program of reforms, I think they are very much on the sidelines." He added that the security situation in Indonesia is not currently conducive to investment.

Philippines President Orders Evacuation of Filipino Workers in Iraq

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sept. 11 ordered that 118 Filipino workers in Iraq be evacuated to "safer grounds," saying, "It's better to be prepared than to be caught flat-footed." She also designated a crisis team to handle the evacuation. The government said that the evacuation came as a result of the Philippines Ambassador to the U.S. reporting that Assistant U.S. Secretary of State James Kelly had described the evacuation as a prudent measure. The workers could be moved to Jordan for the time being.

Speaker of the House in Philippines Recommends Security Link Between ASEAN, Shanghai Six

Philippines House Speaker Jose de Venecia made his suggestion in the course of an intense debate within the Philippines Congress and Senate on how the Philippines should respond to a possible war on Iraq, according to the Philippine Daily Tribute. De Venecia called on leaders of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization to expand the anti-terrorist agreement among the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia to include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyztan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, known as the Shanghai Six. De Venecia's proposal would establish a cooperation between the Shanghai Six and the three ASEAN members against possible terrorist attacks.

Vietnam, China Discuss Transportation

Senior Vietnamese and Chinese transport officials held a working session in Hanoi on Sept. 11 to discuss facilitating transport of passengers and goods between the countries, including transport from Kunming to Vietnam's Hai Phong Port. Ministers Dao Dinh Binh and China's Huang Zhendong discussed construction of a new bridge spanning the Hong (Red) river in the border area between Lao Cai, Vietnam and He Kou, China, which would facilitate commercial transport on the 58-km section of the Hong along their common border.

Huang also briefed Binh on China's waterway and inland transport, especially highways. He said that his government had approved construction of the highway from Nanning to Huu Nghi Quan, with will start later this year and will be completed in 2006. He added that the Kunming-He Kou road would also be built in coming years. Discussions also covered implementation of agreements on sea transport, and collection of transport taxes on ships and trains based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.

Indonesia Foreign Minister: War on Iraq Without Palestinian Solution a War on Islam

The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda, told EIR that any war on Iraq or other Muslim or Arab countries without a solution to the Palestinian issue, will be seen by the Indonesian population as a war on Islam. Minister Wirajuda spoke to an audience of diplomats and politicians at a gala dinner and reception in Washington. Introduced by Paul Wolfowitz of the Defense Department, his speech was positive about ASEAN plus 3 infrastructure plans. Afterwards, he met with reporters from EIR, Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER), a Dow-Jones/Wall Street Journal concern, and an Indonesian paper),

Asked by EIR about Iraq, he said he was glad President Bush took the issue to the UN. He said that if there were military action, the vast majority of the Indonesian people would perceive it as an attack on Islam, and added that this is probably true for Muslims around the world.

The reason for that, he said, is the situation in Palestine. As long as the condition of the Palestinians remains unresolved, there will be anger in the Muslim world over any action against Iraq or anyone else.

Asked if progress is possible while President Bush is supporting Israel's Sharon, he answered that this is a serious problem, commenting that as long as Sharon is in power, he feared there would be little progress.

Reviewing the 1997-98 global crisis, and the failure to move on the new financial architecture, leading to the current collapse, EIR asked if Indonesia will act to get a New Bretton Woods financial system. The Foreign Minister answered that there was not much his country could do on the international front: We let our views be heard, but we are not able to impact the global situation. He added that the approach they are taking with Asian neighbors, starting with the Chiang Mai Initiative and the ASEAN plus 3, is to build up Asian structures to defend Asian economies, and to generate regional development. He said they are setting up swap arrangements, so if there is another round of currency crisis they can defend their currencies; as well as developing cooperation on major projects in transportation, oil and gas, power and other things.

He noted that China is enthusiastic, and wants to help Indonesia build bridges between Sumatra and Java, and between Java and Bali. This is still just in the planning stage, he said— but they are hopeful.

Is Karzai Ouster Imminent?

According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) of London, the Panjshiri-Tajiks of Afghanistan, led by Defense Minister Gen. Mohammad Fahim, are positioning themselves to execute a coup from inside and get rid of Interim President Hamid Karzai, report Pakistani news sources on Sept. 12. Haji Qadir's assassination was the message. The IISS analysis is accurate inasmuch as the coup may take place when the Panjshiris become convinced that the Pakistani ISI is backing Gulbuddin Hekmatyar along the Taliban, and the United States is looking the other way. It is a certainty that the Northern Alliance will not allow Hekmatyar and Taliban, backed by the ISI, into power in Kabul without a fight.

Meanwhile, reports of increasing violence are coming in from Afghanistan. In Khost, another bomb went off, killing two children and a woman. Rockets were fired close to the U.S. airbases in Khost and Gardezi. Pakistanis are reporting that the U.S. 82nd Airborne have landed and engaged in fighting with the al-Qaeda and Taliban renegades along the Afghan border with Pakistan.

All rights reserved © 2002 EIRNS