Ya gotta laugh, I guess.
Looking for any excuse to "re-establish" military ties with Indonesia, Condi Rice is advocating the reinstatement of Indonesia's eligibility for US military training. If the plan succeeds, Indonesian soldiers will be funded to the tune of $600,000 in 2005.
In reality, even though there has been a ban on such training since 1992, the program has continued unabated.
In 2004, the budget for this military training was $599,000 (even though it has been banned).
So why bother lobbying to make it legitimate, when the difference is a measley $1000?
Because then the only step left to having full military ties will be the issue of weapons sales (which has also been going on, in a limited sense, under the counter). And it will be much easier to argue that sales should be allowed if you can point out that there's no point training them to use weapons they can't have.
If anyone still believes that the War on Terror is going to be won with military weapons, please wear tin-foil on your head so we sane people know who you are and can avoid you.
SBY is (I hope) no Suharto. But many of the top brass in the military are Suharto boys (as was SBY). And if history has taught us anything, it's that Indonesia's weapons have mainly been pointed at Indonesians (and East Timorese -- but only Indonesia and Australia considered ET as part of Indonesia after 1975).
Indonesians need so many things before they can afford weapons.
Nasi putih, tidak Nasi Hitam!
(Hehe... well, I think it's a cute slogan, even if it is racist. But I don't think Condi's human, so it doesn't count.)