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Indonesian Stance on US Military Action Firm: Minister
The Indonesian government's stance on the US-led military action on Afghanistan is firm, Defense Minister Matori Abdul Djalil told reporters Thursday.
"The government's stance, as reflected in the six-point statement issued last Monday, is firm. However, it depends on how people perceive it. For those who have their own (vested) interests, they might see it as not firm, although in fact it is firm," Matori said after holding a dialogue with community members of the Indonesian Navy housing complex in Sidoarjo, East Java province.
The government, Matori said, is trying to lead those engaged in the crisis to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, without getting involved or taking sides with either of the warring countries.
"We are not taking sides with a certain party or a certain country, but we are trying to lead them to a peaceful resolution (of the conflict)," he was quoted by the Antara News Agency as saying.
Some Muslim organizations here have condemned the U.S. military actions and echoed the spirit of the holy war against the U.S. and its allies. They also criticized the statement issued by the government on Monday as being weak.
Asked to comment on various Muslim organizations' plan to deploy holy war fighters to Afghanistan, Matori said the move is unnecessary.
He instead urged the nation to focus on reviving the country's ailing economy.
Separately, the House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung Thursday asked the people to reconsider their recommendation of severing diplomatic relations with the U.S.
He reminded that the country has had a close relations with the U.S. and other countries.
"This can influence the development in the future, therefore it is needed to be reconsidered well," he added.
Concerning the anti-U.S. demonstrations in the country, Akbar said that the best solution is for the government to immediately hold dialogue with the demonstrators' leaders.
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