Source: DTN News By Roger Smith(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 8, 2010: U.S. Marines of 2nd battalion, 24th Marines, takes his position with his Indonesian counterparts during a joint-excercise in Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia, Saturday, May 29, 2010.
The strong tradition of U.S.-Indonesian security cooperation that was bolstered by joint humanitarian assistance following natural disasters in 2004 and 2009 took another step forward with Indonesia’s recent decision to pursue ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.The United States is grateful to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Indonesian government for “responsible leadership in the global effort to reinforce the nuclear nonproliferation regime,” President Obama said in a May 4 statement praising Indonesia’s announcement. Indonesia’s action is the most recent demonstration of the two nations’ shared vision for a peaceful, prosperous, democratic world.
After a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, U.S. Navy vessels arrived within days to assist in rescue and recovery efforts. In the weeks and months that followed, U.S.-Indonesian military cooperation was vital for transporting relief supplies and aid workers to remote parts of the enormous area affected by the tsunami.
More recently, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Richard Landolt arrived in Padang, Indonesia, shortly after the September 30, 2009, earthquake. Working closely with Indonesian armed forces, Landolt led U.S. military relief efforts. The U.S. humanitarian assistance and survey team coordinated medical support, civil engineering and supply needs with the Indonesian government, nongovernmental organizations and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Those humanitarian partnerships gave rise to several important security relationships.
In March, members of the U.S. Air Force’s technical coordination groups inspected and repaired portions of Indonesia’s fleet of U.S.-made fighter and cargo aircraft. Indonesian-operated C-130 transport planes, capable of carrying 19,000 kilograms (42,000 pounds), were vital for ferrying disaster relief supplies to isolated parts of the country.
In May, the Indonesian government and the U.S. Army co-hosted in Jakarta, Indonesia, the 20th Asia Pacific Military Medicine Conference. The annual gathering featured discussions on humanitarian relief deployments, medical administration, triage and casualty evacuation, and methods to combat infectious diseases.
The United States and Indonesia also share a strong interest in improving maritime security and fighting trafficking in persons.
Under the Global Train and Equip Program, the United States from 2006 to 2009 provided Indonesia with more than $47 million to fight smuggling, piracy and trafficking. This Department of Defense program sponsored the installation of several radar systems to improve maritime security throughout the archipelago, particularly in the Malacca and Makassar straits. According to the International Maritime Bureau, incidents of maritime crime in Indonesian waters decreased 77 percent from 2003 to 2008.
Working with Indonesians to fight human trafficking, the U.S. departments of State and Labor in 2008 and 2009 funded more than $6 million in projects to prevent trafficking, protect victims and prosecute traffickers in Indonesia.
As security partners, the United States and Indonesia joined Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore for the Cobra Gold military exercise in February. Cobra Gold is the largest multinational military exercise in the world. Its joint training programs include command post exercises, civil engineering projects and field exercises.
The June 2009 Garuda Shield joint exercise allowed U.S. and Indonesian forces to discuss bomb-detecting methods and equipment.
In 2009, the U.S. and Indonesian militaries co-hosted the Garuda Shield multilateral military exercise in Bandung, Indonesia. This training program focused on peace support operations and included more than 1,000 soldiers and marines from nine countries. The co-director of the exercise, U.S. Major General Vernon Miyagi, praised Indonesia for taking “a lead role in supporting peacekeeping worldwide.”
Joint military exercises such as these are part of the close training and counterterrorism relationship that the United States and Indonesia share. U.S.-Indonesian counterterrorism cooperation has been especially strong since the Bali bombings of October 2002, and the United States has “very good cooperation with the Indonesian government on counterterrorism issues,” said Jeff Bader March 15. Bader is the senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council.
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com
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