http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/24/1066974321597.html
How APEC was Bushwhacked
October 25, 2003
Sydney Morning Herald
Australia and its South-East Asian neighbours are discovering that space under
the US security umbrella does not come free. Marian Wilkinson reports from
Washington.
From the beginning of President George Bush's Asian-Pacific trip, White House
officials were blunt about the message for the region. "Security and
prosperity are inseparable," as one official put it. US-backed security,
they argued, underpins economic growth in the region, but it comes with a
price tag.
From his first stop in Japan to his last in Canberra, Bush advanced the
argument that the US security umbrella in the post-Cold War world demands
obligations from America's Asian-Pacific allies. Japan's Prime Minister,
Junichiro Koizumi, got in early and, three days before Bush arrived, pledged
$US1.5 billion ($2.15 billion) to rebuilding Iraq.
After the informal dinner in Tokyo that rounded off their talks, Bush was able
to thank Koizumi without appearing to twist his arm. As a senior Bush official
explained it delicately, Koizumi told the President, "We're doing this
not as a
favour to the United States; we're doing it because it's in Japan's interest,
it's in the region's interest, it's in the world's interest, and of course, it
is in the interests of the US-Japan alliance."
This formula was repeated in the President's talks with the leaders of
Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia and, of course,
Australia.
Until Bush's trip, few people realised that the Royal Thai Army was "a
vital part of the multinational division in Karbala, Iraq". Yet during
Bush's APEC meeting he took time out to meet Thai troops, underscoring the
message to the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, that the Iraq campaign was
firmly linked to the fight against terrorism in South-East Asia, not to
mention the proposed Thai-US free trade agreement.
In Singapore, which has just signed a free trade agreement with the US, Bush
thanked the Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, for his co-operation on terrorism
but also extracted a pledge for new logistical support in Iraq. Singapore is
already helping to train Iraqi police to protect critical installations.
But Bush was also advancing more ambitious defence plans in the region. In the
Philippines, President Gloria Arroyo and Bush committed their countries to a
massive restructure of the Philippine Armed Forces aimed at tackling both
corruption and incompetence in its ranks and boosting military aid to the
country. For the first time, the US named the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO
Ally (MNNA), putting it in a category with Japan and Egypt with special access
to US military equipment.
Despite deep controversy in the Philippines about the US military
relationship, the war on terrorism there has pushed Arroyo towards much closer
co-operation with the Pentagon, including contributing a small team to Iraq.
On his way to Indonesia, Bush also flagged in an interview with local
television that he was anxious to restore deeper military co-operation with
the Indonesian Army (the TNI). But the President was forced to rein in his
enthusiasm after a number of congressmen reacted, pointing out that Indonesia
had not yet resolved the investigation into the murder of two American
teachers in West Papua last year. The brutal assault was believed by many to
have been carried out by the local military and the US Congress has blocked
further military co-operation until there is progress in the case.
Despite this, Bush and the Indonesian President, Megawati Soekarnoputri,
issued a statement noting that "normal military relations are in the
interest of both countries and [both presidents] agreed to continue working
towards that objective". They also pointed to security talks scheduled
for early next year in Washington, where military co-operation would be pushed
forward. It was a signal that the Bush Administration is anxious to involve
the TNI and the military's special forces wing, Kopassus, in its
counter-terrorist operations.
But the most far-reaching US plans for the region are the current efforts to
draw two key Asia-Pacific allies, Japan and Australia, into America's missile
defence security strategy. In late August, Japan officially announced that it
would co-operate with the US in building a missile defence system, spurred on
by the failure of the negotiations to defuse the North Korean crisis.
That decision will cost Japan more than $US1 billion in the first phase,
according to the Centre for Defence Information in Washington. The Japanese
strategy will consist of two stages, sea-based and ground-based defence
systems aimed at shooting down incoming missiles. A joint research effort by
US and Japanese defence companies has been under way for several years.
While the project is extremely costly, technically questionable and highly
controversial, it has the effect of locking Japan into the US missile defence
shield. As the talks with North Korea remained stalled, Japan's decision to
commit to the missile defence plan is gaining increasing support domestically.
Australia, too, is being urged by the Pentagon to join in the program. Next
month, the Defence Minister, Robert Hill, will arrive in Washington for talks
not only on missile defence but several other big defence purchases, such as
the Joint Strike Force fighter, that will bind Australian forces more closely
into US military planning.
This will, of course, come with a big price tag. But so far, John Howard has
been prepared to pay a high price to stay under the US security umbrella. And
he sees the Bush doctrine, including the pre-emptive war in Iraq, as the way
forward. And, as Bush told the Australian Parliament this week, "America
is grateful."
