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The Indonesian government said foreign troops would be out of the country by March 31. "A three-month period is enough, even sooner the better," Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Tuesday.
The stupid thing was giving a billion dollars to countries that either don't need or don't want help.
Good grief! What a bunch of ingrates.
By Richard Spencer
(Filed: 13/01/2005)
The Indonesian government yesterday gave foreign troops providing aid in the disaster zone of Sumatra until the end of March to complete their operations.
"Three months are enough," said the vice-president Jusuf Kalla. "The sooner [they leave] the better."
Military support from a dozen countries has arrived in or off Sumatra, where more than 100,000 people died.
United Nations agencies are also present but only armed forces have been able to offer the necessary logistics along the Sumatran coast, where the single road has been largely destroyed.
The Indonesian government is wary of radical Muslim opinion. It has been sensitive to concerns about possible repercussions from the large American presence, even though it has been welcomed.
Cease-fire offer welcomed in Indonesia
Indonesian authorities have warned aid workers that many parts of Aceh are not safe because rebels could launch raids on aid convoys. The rebels, who have been fighting for an independent homeland in the province for three decades, accuse the government of lying and say they would never attack anyone involved in the relief effort.
Of the 14,000 U.S. military personnel involved in the relief effort, there are fewer than 300 people are on the ground in Aceh, partly due to security concerns, said U.S. Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe. Most are on ships anchored offshore.
"We have been very conscious that we wanted to keep the numbers of people in Banda Aceh to a minimum," Pascoe said at a news conference in Jakarta. "That's not the most secure place."
With thousands of foreigners pouring into Aceh, the government has imposed restrictions on the movement of aid workers and journalists. Aid workers have been told to inform the government of their travel plans and take army escorts to most areas outside of Banda Aceh.
Pascoe said the restrictions did not appear to have slowed aid.
Thanks for the ping!
Ungratful pricks!