Ending the torture in East Timor would have been no more
>difficult than dismissing Indonesia's dictator in May 1998.
><http://motherjones.com/east_timor/comment/chomsky.html>
>********************
Just to think out loud here...
This suggests that the US wants a pretext to send in troops if not into Timor then close by as conflict between Habibie and the military escalates over control of the state, no? Moreover, the security the US provides Japan throughout the region forces the latter to hold on to US securities as defacto payment for military servies provided even though at present Japan may well need to cash in in order to recapitalize its banking system, etc. That of course would sink the US stock market. The US needs to reassert its control over the region and continue to exact payment in the form of Japan and others holding onto dollar denominated assets. Japan seems to be neither welcome nor capable of playing this security role, allowing the US to use its imperial-military advantage to maintain its economy.
Tense times, no?
Yours, Rakesh