INDONESIA: INDONESIA SAYS UNENTHUSIASTIC TO SAUDI-PROPOSED IDEA OF MUSLIM FORCE IN IRAQ

Record ID: 647102

  • Title: INDONESIA: INDONESIA SAYS UNENTHUSIASTIC TO SAUDI-PROPOSED IDEA OF MUSLIM FORCE IN IRAQ
  • Date: 30th July 2004
  • Summary: (U2) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JULY 30, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV/SV EXTERIOR OF INDONESIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. SLV OF MEDIA BRIEFING BY FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON MARTY NATALEGAWA 0.15 3. MCU (English) NATALEGAWA SAYING: "As far as Indonesia's own position is concerned. It has been clear and consistent from the very begining that we will only consider, we will only contemplate sending our troops to Iraq if it is under a U.N. framework or U.N. aegis. In other words, as part of a U.N. peacekeeping force mission, the so-called the United Nations' blue beret" 0.42 4. SLV JOURNALISTS 0.47 5. MCU (English) NATALEGAWA SAYING: "We will not entertain the idea of sending, contributing our troops to a multinational force. Whether such a multinational force is, as has been, under the United States' command or even a multinational force which has been sanctioned by the United Nations but whose nature maybe only to protect United Nations' personnel." 1.13 6. SV JOURNALISTS 1.17 7. MCU (English) NATALEGAWA SAYING: "We will only be considering if the said force is in the nature of a peacekeeping force, in the nature of the so-called U.N. blue beret, and the nature of their tasks would be to keep the peace. But of course therein lies the problem the lackof peace in Iraq. There has to be some degree of peace to be kept before peacekeeping force has to be sent" 1.47 8. SLV END OF PRESS CONFERENCE 1.52 JAKARTA, INDONESIA (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. VARIOUS OF MILITARY PARADE / TROOPS MARCHING (7 SHOTS) 2.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVACLXG48BG4GL9HWWHJPCHQL6KK
  • Story Text: Indonesia says unenthusiastic to Saudi-proposed idea
    of Muslim force in Iraq.



    Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
    nation, gave a cool reception on Friday (July 30, 2004) to a
    Saudi Arabian
    proposal that troops from Arab or Muslim nations could be
    sent to Iraq.

    Such a force could shore up the U.S. coalition and ease
    the need for U.S. troops who are battling a fierce
    insurgency in
    Iraq.

    As described by U.S. and Saudi officials, the proposal
    could involve contributions of troops from across the Muslim
    world but not from Iraq's neighbours, which Iraqi officials
    have said they would not welcome. Saudi Arabia has a long
    border with Iraq.

    But there was no sign Indonesia, an ally of Washington
    in the war on terror in Southeast Asia but a consistent
    critic of
    its invasion of Iraq, was about to join up.

    "As far as Indonesia's own position is concerned. It
    has been clear and consistent from the very begining that
    we will
    only consider, we will only contemplate sending our troops
    to Iraq if it is under a U.N. framework or U.N. aegis. In
    other
    words, as part of a U.N. peacekeeping force mission, the
    so-called the United Nations' blue beret," Indonesia's
    Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said during a
    weekly media briefing on Friday (July 30).

    That did not mean a troop operation that was sanctioned
    by the U.N. Security Council but under someone else's
    command, he
    stressed.

    "We will not entertain the idea of sending,
    contributing our troops to a multinational force. Whether
    such a
    multinational force is, as has been, under the United
    States' command or even a multinational force which has
    been sanctioned
    by the United Nations, but whose nature maybe only to
    protect United Nations' personnel," Natalegawa added.

    Natalegawa also drew a distinction between peacekeeping
    and peace enforcing.

    "We will only be considering if the said force is in
    the nature of a peacekeeping force, in the nature of the
    so-called
    U.N. blue beret, and the nature of their tasks would be to
    keep the peace. But of course therein lies the problem --
    the lack
    of peace in Iraq. There has to be some degree of peace to
    be kept before peacekeeping force has to be sent," he
    stressed.

    Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal had told
    reporters he and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had a
    "preliminary
    discussion" on the Muslim troops idea on Wednesday (July
    28) but would not say who might contribute or what
    conditions might
    be attached.

    A senior Saudi official who asked not to be identified
    told reporters Riyadh had already discussed the idea with
    countries
    that might provide troops, with the Iraqi government and
    with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He said a U.N.

    mandate, from
    existing resolutions or a new resolution, would be needed.

    There are about 160,000 foreign troops in Iraq, roughly
    140,000 of them from the United States, which invaded last
    year
    to topple former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but now
    faces a fierce insurgency that it did not anticipate.

    Some 85 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are
    Muslim. The vast majority are considered moderate, but
    condemnation of the U.S. invasion of Iraq was near
    universal in the country.


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