---------------------------------------------------------- Live and work in the USA legally: Register for the GREEN CARD LOTTERY! Visit http://www.us-immigration.org -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Indonesia Daily News Online http://www.indo-news.com/ Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- The Indonesian Observer, 19th September 2000 Defense minister blames US on E. Timor militias JAKARTA (IO) - Defense Minister Mahfud MD said yesterday the United States was partly to blame for the violent pro-Jakarta East Timorese militias operating on the West Timor border, adding that disarming the militias in East Nusa Tenggara will need more time. "America could not close its eyes when it came to the Vietcong. The US needed 10 years to disarm the Vietcong in Vietnam. For us, it's just one year," Mahfud added, referring to the Communist guerrillas that made life a misery for American troops during the Vietnam War, which the U.S-backed South Vietnam ultimately lost. "We lack sufficient equipment because of the embargo on the cooperation between our militaries, while East Timorese militiamen are in the jungle and can hide their weapons everywhere," Mahfud said after accompanying President Abdurrahman Wahid during a meeting with US Defense Secretary William Cohen at Merdeka Palace here yesterday. Mahfud said the US government has expressed its readiness to help Indonesia solve its problems on the militiamen. The minister also expressed hope that the US would soon lift its military equipment embargo on Indonesia. "If you want to help Indonesia, stop the embargo so that we can carry out our tasks," Mahfud added. The Indonesian government, he said, has already formulated a proposal to ask for US assistance. Indonesia has been facing international criticism after militiamen torched the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara last Sept 6 and killed three relief workers, one of whom was an American. East Nusa Tenggara, which shares a border with East Timor, still has East Timorese refugees and militiamen who fled East Timor following last year's ballot, which paved the way for the territory's independence from Indonesia. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 20 Sep 2000 jam 06:26:51 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
