[drt1]

I spent several years in Indonesia and am familiar with Aceh in particular. The populous parts are all situated in the low lying coastal plains and this fact, coupled with the very flimsy construction and severe overcrowding of what are, in effect, shanty towns, leads me to believe the toll is very large - Larger even than what is now being reported.

On the point of this thread:

The Gov't is completely corrupt and severely represses the population - Hence the concern that outside influences might take hold during the aid efforts. The longer these take, or are allowed to continue, the more outside influence will be possible and the more the people will see just how repressive and ineffectual the Gov't is in meeting the needs of the survivors. This more than anything would explain the need to strictly control aid activities and curtail them as much as possible.

IMO another example of a Gov't more concerned with self-preservation than the welfare of those it "Governs" - Sound familiar?

[isthisnickcool]

The populous parts are all situated in the low lying coastal plains and this fact, coupled with the very flimsy construction and severe overcrowding of what are, in effect, shanty towns, leads me to believe the toll is very large - Larger even than what is now being reported.

"Flimsy construction" except for the mosques which seem to be the only buildings left standing in a lot of areas since the mosques where well built. Which makes sense because that's the way all gov't offices are built......

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Well reasoned, well put. Thanks

[expatguy]

By "outside influences" you mean Christianity.

No need to mince words here FRiend.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[antivenom]

I agree...and we pissed away money on a corrupt group that has NO INTENTIONS of helping their own.

I am a frequent traveler to Indonesia too...and the military there are nothing more that "government approved terrorists"...and they are out reforming the leftover refugees to join their cause so they can over throw the government...one island at a time.

Hard to riot and terroize when the USA is sitting on the back step...

[libs_kma]

I think you Sir, have hit this nail directly on the head. My guess is also that the only people not wanting the US there is the Indonesian government and the terrorists. They, after all have the most to lose by their people seeing that Americans and Australians aren't the two-headed monsters they've been preaching to their people about. I can't imagine that the people receiving aid and being helped are going to want them to leave sooner rather than later. And maybe some are asking or wondering why their own government is not helping them as much as the Americans and Australians.

The longer the US and Australia stay and help, maybe it will be harder to talk that 20 year old into putting on the bomb jacket. Not all of them for sure, but maybe the one that was helped during this tragedy won't be so quick to do it.