Remember how Indonesia wanted U.S. forces to end disaster aid work by March 26?

It was on Jan. 12 that Indonesia’s Vice President Yusuf Kalla declared the American troops saving the lives of tsunami-battered Indonesians must leave within three months of the Dec. 26 tsunami. "In fact, the sooner the better," Kalla said.

U.S. forces at one time had 15,000 troops on the ground helping the disaster’s survivors, more in the air delivering food, water and medicine, and more on a hospital ship treating the injured. The last of the American forces left March 16.

Disaster 2. Then came Indonesia’s recent devastating earthquake that killed at least 500 and left tens of thousands stranded with little food and no clean water.

That was March 28.

Two ships of the United States Navy have been ordered back to Indonesia. Kalla probably will keep his mouth shut this time.

Frank Warner

SEE ALSO: Tsunami math: Did the Indonesians really tell the U.S. Navy to leave? The answer is in the numbers.

Comments

[RedStar]

Why should he? Isn't he a representative of government and thus represents that country there? Or would you rather have the Americans (who DO NOT represent the country) run amok in every country it wishes to enter, regardless of the intentions - good (e.g. relief work)or evil (e.g. attack Iraq)?

Learn the word: "sovereignty"

[jj]

The point is, Kalla was just posturing before. The American forces will be allowed in as they were before because they are helping. Nevertheless, a politician can always get extra votes (and bigger bribes) by accusing or insinuating that Americans are up to no good.

[Frank Warner]

There was never a question of the United States taking over a free country. The United States obviously was (and again is) saving lives, with permission of the freely elected Indonesian government.

The point is, Kalla had an odd way of saying thank you.

And by the way, sovereignty comes from the people of a nation. A people's freely elected government can protect sovereignty for them. No dictatorship has sovereignty over anything, not even when they falsely label their government a "people's republic."

Learn the term: "Human rights."

[RedStar]

LOL - human rights is an issue even in the good'ol US of A !

[Random Bulldog]

And you're comparing this nation to Indonesia, RedStar, a relic of the Dutch Colonial that brutalizes states which strive for independence, frequently brutalize ethnic Chinese, have been on the blotter sheet for all the major human rights groups for outrageous abuses since time immemorial? And you're saying it's okay for Kalla to go off on the handle and spit in the face of all the aid the people of his nation are receiving, aid which his own government cannot provide because they have mismanaged their government through corruption and graft for decades?

Look up the word "ingratitude."