Vietnam edges toward role in U.S. anti-terrorism front http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSHAN16888720070411
Tue Apr 10, 2007
By Grant McCool
HANOI (Reuters) - The United States is nudging former enemy Vietnam toward joining a global anti-terrorism front aimed at searching planes and ships to prevent trafficking in weapons of mass destruction and other illegal cargo. Security analysts and Vietnamese and U.S. officials say Hanoi is warming to the idea, but the communist-run country has concerns about the implications under international law and national jurisdiction.
Hanoi participated in an Asia-Pacific forum of the loosely-knit association called the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) in New Zealand on March 29, U.S. and Vietnamese officials said.
"My sense is that Hanoi is seriously thinking about it to demonstrate international credibility, willingness to cooperate with Washington and 'independence' from China," said Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.
Vietnam's fellow-communist northern neighbor is not taking part in the PSI, which is not a formal group. Participants include scores of countries, including several European nations and Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.
"If Hanoi elects not to become more involved, it may reflect concern about antagonizing China or just a desire to not be drawn too deeply into the U.S. camp," says Cossa.
Former war enemies Washington and Hanoi have gradually established a friendship, mostly founded on trade and business ties, since Washington ended an economic embargo in 1994 and the two sides restored diplomatic relations in 1995.
U.S. President George W. Bush established the PSI in May 2003 as part of his administration's response to the September 11, 2001 hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington.
LONG COASTLINE
Vietnam has a 3,200 km-long coastline, a population of 84 million and it is an up-and-coming leading member of the Association of South East Asian Nations.
In November it hosted a Pacific Rim summit, including Bush. In a separate state visit President Nguyen Minh Triet and Bush discussed cooperation on global and regional security.
U.S. military officials are keen to forge ties with the Vietnamese military beyond the continuing search for servicemen listed as missing in action from the war that ended in 1975.
"There are significant sea lines of communication that sit astride Vietnam and by giving them the opportunity to expand their participation in maritime security they would become tremendous contributors to the counter-terrorism effort," said Brigadier General John Toolan, principal director, office of the deputy under secretary of defense Asia & Pacific.
As a sign of the changing military-to-military relationship, Washington in December made Vietnam eligible to receive non-lethal military equipment. Much of it will be used for humanitarian disaster relief and search and rescue operations.
Also in December, Vietnam agreed for the first time to allow U.S. Navy ships to search at sea for Americans missing from the war, but no maritime searches have taken place yet.
The one-party state has no serious internal or external threats, according to political analysts. Vietnam is enjoying an extended period of peace, although it is still under-developed.
Vietnam's foreign policy is to be friends with all countries as it pursues more rapid economic reforms to reduce poverty.
It has signed most international treaties banning nuclear and chemical weapons and cooperates with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
"In accordance with that policy, Vietnam welcomes the spirit of PSI, which is to prevent the proliferation of WMD," Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Le Dung said.
Whether it takes part in PSI activities or not, Vietnamese may be called on for United Nations peacekeeping duties in coming years. Vietnam is the only candidate from Asia for a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2008-09.
"They are very aware that these kinds of responsibilities are going to come their way," U.S. Brigadier General Toolan said after meeting senior Vietnamese military officials in March.
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