posted on January 13, 2005 06:25:45 PM new
9.0 on ungrateful scale
Thanks for the help, but now get out, Indonesian veep tells U.S. soldiers
BY CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Ingrates!
The Indonesian government yesterday showed its appreciation to U.S. soldiers who have been risking their lives helping tsunami victims by ordering them to get out of the country by the end of March.
"Three months are enough," Vice President Jusuf Kalla told the official Antara news agency. "In fact, the sooner [they leave] the better."
Kalla's government also forced the Abraham Lincoln, from which Navy pilots have flown dozens of food supply missions to the hard-hit Aceh Province, to steam out of Indonesian waters because they refused to let U.S. pilots fly training missions in their air space.
The Indonesians also refused to let the Marines coming ashore rebuild roads, establish a base camp or carry arms.
Lynn Pascoe, the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, reacted to Kalla's ingratitude by declaring that American troops will help as long as they were needed and "not a minute later."
But in Washington, White House spokesman Scott McClellan demanded "further clarification from Indonesia about what this means."
"We hope that the government of Indonesia and the military in Indonesia will continue the strong support they have provided to the international relief efforts so far," he said.
Although most Indonesians have expressed thanks for U.S. help, nationalist politicians in the world's most populous Muslim country have been grumbling about "American interlopers."
Indonesia's new president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is a former general in a country that has been under martial law for much of its recent history.
Always wary of America, Indonesia reluctantly allowed U.S. soldiers in when it became clear it could not deal with the aftermath of the Dec. 26 tsunami on its own.
Yudhoyono's government also moved to reassert control over wave-walloped Aceh by ordering aid workers and journalists to declare their travel plans - or face expulsion.
"It is important to note that the government would be placed in a very difficult position if any foreigner who came to Aceh to assist in the aid effort was harmed through the acts of irresponsible parties," the government said in a statement.
The Indonesian government was referring to the rebels who have largely stayed out of the way as the international rescue missions have been mounted.
posted on January 13, 2005 08:17:23 PM new
Maybe they have the nerve to think they are their own country and worry that the dictator of America will try to conquer their country when they are at their weakest.
posted on January 13, 2005 09:36:54 PM new
It is amazing, but I agree with Cowflop. American's should be withdrawn before one person gets injured by these ungrateful aborigines.
posted on January 13, 2005 10:26:27 PM new
Funny how your article completely leaves out the fact that ALL foreign troops, not just the U.S. has been given a deadline. It also leaves out the fact that our own State Department has said, essentially, that the Indonesian statement has been blown way out of proportion by some.
However, even if we had been singled out & asked to leave, in many ways I wouldn't be able to blame the Indonesians for doing so. They are having their own problems with what they call terrorists--namely rebels who are fighting for independence from the current government there, though there is currently a ceasefire on both sides in order to deal with the disaster. With Bush's stated agenda of going around the world and forcing other countries to accept our form of government whether they like it or not, I can see why they might be leery of having our troops there for longer than need be, regardless of how grateful they are for our help.
BTW, our country is beginning to remind me of certain of my relatives, namely my mother's brother & his wife. They were very generous people, and went out of their way to do things for others. The problem was, that if they didn't feel you were grateful enough for what they'd done for you, they became belligerant and went on & on & on & on & on & on & on & on & on about how ungrateful you were! What they deemed "being ungrateful" included things like not not acknowledging what they'd done for you ad infinitum for years after the fact, not thanking them for what they'd done practically every time you saw them long after the deed had been done, and generally not letting them--by dint of what they'd done for you--run your life, because after all, they'd helped you and so you owed it to them to do what they thought was right. It's awfully easy to begin disliking people like that no matter how generous they are. In fact, I came to the conclusion that I got on easier with them the further away from them I was and so avoided them as much as humanly possible. And I wasn't the only one.
____________________
"Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter than to feel bitter. A man's venom poisons himself more than his victim." --Charles Buxton
posted on January 14, 2005 05:31:18 AM new
Excellent post, Bunni !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hit the nail right on the head!
With snotty condescending and ignorant attitudes like parklane's, bear's and replay's is it any wonder they want Americans out of their country...I wouldn't let people like that in my house!
posted on January 14, 2005 10:17:50 AM new
Which only proves, bear, that learning, intellect,logic and common sense will never interrupt your daily routine.
posted on January 14, 2005 11:39:09 AM new
I agree bear, MOST ungrateful.
We should have just left their own Muslim 'brothers' take care of their own people [and we saw how little they were initally helping them out] and put this money towards our own needs.
People are going to complain no matter what we do...and we're not going to get much appreication from their governments....but the people will appreciate it and that's who it's for in the first place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four More Years....YES!!!
posted on January 14, 2005 02:38:44 PM new
Call up the Malays, Singapore, Thailand, etc and ask if they want the Lincoln. If they do, send it and tell Indonesia to get Allah on the phone.
posted on January 15, 2005 03:14:56 PM new Which only proves, bear, that learning, intellect,logic and common sense will never interrupt your daily routine.
Well crow, never let it be said, you ever had an original thought.
A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
- Bill Cosby
