29 September 1999
Text: Defense Secretary Cohen's Australia "Today" Show Interview
(Cohen: Countries in region must do their part for peace) (2030) Countries in the Asia-Pacific region must do their share for peace, U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen said in a September 29 interview on Australia's "Today" Show during his trip through the region. "What we expect is those in a region who have to confront a peacekeeping mission should bear the burden of that, and we will be supportive as much as we can ... but we are not the global policeman," Cohen said. With respect to the peacekeeping operation in East Timor, Cohen stressed that "Australia must take the lead on this and ... we expect other countries in the region -- all of the ASEAN countries -- to contribute to this." Cohen's message to the region was balanced by a list of "do's" for the Indonesian government. Jakarta, Cohen insisted, "has an obligation to see to it that the people who are now displaced into West Timor are allowed to go back into their homes in East Timor." The Indonesian government also has the responsibility to provide security "to prevent the militia from in any way interfering or harming" the East Timorese, Cohen said. "If Indonesia is going to proceed down the path to democracy," Cohen stressed, "it must take these actions and hold the military accountable to the government." The U.S. defense chief also emphasized that "there must be civilian control over the military" in Indonesia. "The world is watching," Cohen warned, adding that failure to cooperate with efforts to restore peace, stability and democratic efforts in East Timor could lead to diplomatic isolation or economic consequences for Indonesia. "The rest of the world ... is watching, and we are committed to and helping the Indonesian people to achieve their own dream, that they voted for, and that is for democracy," Cohen said. Following is a transcript of the program: (begin transcript) INTERVIEW, CHANNEL 9 THE "TODAY" SHOW WITH SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, WILLIAM S. COHEN September 29, 1999 Q: Leading INTERFET forces in East Timor, America has so far taken an important and yet understated role in the peacekeeping exercise. The crisis in the region has of course underscored the Australian and U.S. roles in Asia with one recent interpretation suggesting Australia play deputy to America's role as regional policeman. A position vigorously denied by our Prime Minister, John Howard. The American Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, is on a whistle-stop tour of this part of the world, and he joins us now for his only television interview from our studios in Cairns. Mr. Secretary, good morning to you. COHEN: Good morning to you. Q: After you leave Australia, you fly to Jakarta to meet with President Habibie and General Wiranto. What message are you bringing to them about East Timor and its future? COHEN: What I am going to say to General Wiranto and to President Habibie and others I'll be meeting with, Mrs Megawati, also with other officials, non-governmental organisations and human rights groups as well... But the message I will deliver is that the Indonesian government has an obligation to see to it that the people who are now displaced into West Timor are allowed to go back into their homes in East Timor; that they provide that security to prevent the militia from in any way interfering or harming them; and that if Indonesia is going to proceed down the path to democracy, which we all support, it must take these actions and hold the military accountable to the government; there must be civilian control over the military, and that the world is watching. Q: And if Jakarta does not heed that message, if it doesn't control its military, if it doesn't make it accountable for the murder of independence supporters, if it doesn't honor the referendum result and doesn't continue democratic reform, what then? COHEN: Well, I think it will have serious consequences to the nature of the relationship that Indonesia will have with the rest of the world. The rest of the world, as I indicated, is watching, and we are committed to and helping the Indonesian people to achieve their own dream, that they voted for, and that is for democracy. And so I think to the extent that the government does not cooperate, refuses to achieve the goals that the Indonesian people aspire to, then I think Indonesia itself will have to face up to consequences which will range again, but certainly involve some isolation diplomatically, perhaps economic consequences as well. But this is very important to the future of Indonesia, and they have to understand this. Q: Mr. Secretary, there are reports today suggesting that unless President Clinton intervenes, the peace mission in East Timor will not get done, that Australia lacks the experience to lead a mission of this kind. What are you hearing from your people? What's General John Castellaw, for example, what's his assessment of the situation now? COHEN: Well, I disagree with the notion that Australia is not capable of leading such a peacekeeping mission. We have had a very close relationship with Australia for many many years now, Australia is one of our strategic partners and we have military-to-military relations which are outstanding. And we believe that the Australian military is fully capable of leading this peacekeeping mission. One of the purposes of my coming here, is to meet with my counterpart, the Defence Minister John Moore; to get a briefing from him; and then also to meet with our own military, as well as the Australian military and the New Zealanders. To get an assessment of what's taking place on the ground and to see ways in which we can be helpful, and making sure that this peacekeeping mission is successful. Q: Just on the question of the peacekeeping force itself. Did Australia ever formally ask the United States to commit combat troops to that mission? COHEN: The answer is no, that no formal request for such a commitment. We have been in touch, in very close contact, with our counterparts as such, at the military-to-military basis, and with John Moore and myself. And we have provided the kind of support in the way of intelligence, transportation, logistics, sustainment, all of those types of technologies and techniques and capabilities that the United States has, to make sure that this mission is successful. Q: I just want to be quite clear on that point. At the time Australia said, a peacekeeping force needs to be sent into East Timor, Australia at no stage said to Washington, will you commit combat troops to that force? COHEN: There has been no specific request, to my knowledge, and certainly not to me, for such a request. We have indicated that we would be supportive certainly, and we commend Australia for taking the lead on this. This is a very important mission, and I want to commend the Australian people and the government for taking this lead. But we have indicated from the beginning, that we would be in a support mission and we are doing that. There has been no formal request for anything but what we are doing now, and we continue to talk on a daily basis. Admiral Blair is meeting with his counterparts as well. So this is something that we're following on a day by day basis and we are as supportive as we can be. Q: O.K. Would America commit combat troops to East Timor, to the peacekeeping force, if Australia said, "we need them"? COHEN: Well that's a hypothetical I can't answer at this point. What we have indicated is that we believe that Australia must take the lead on this and that we expect other countries in the region -- all of the ASEAN countries -- to contribute to this, and that the United States can be supportive as we are today. Frankly, I think if we make sure that the Indonesian Government understands that their military must, in fact, help and cooperate in achieving the success of this mission, then future talk about more forces on the ground won't be necessary. Q: Why didn't America -- just on that point -- offer combat troops? For example, when the United States asked Australia to commit troops to the Vietnam War, we did. We put our hand up for the Gulf War. We did the same for Kosovo, and yet when we called for support for a peacekeeping force it was almost as if America had to have its arm twisted. COHEN: Well not at all. As a matter of fact, you pointed out correctly, Australia has been a key partner of the United States over the years, and we've recognized that, and we believe that our relationship is one of the real stabilizing forces in Asia. But by the same token, we've also indicated by our past performance that we are stretched very thin. That we, contrary to reports that I keep reading, are the global policeman, we do not seek to achieve that status, nor can we carry it out. What we expect is those in a region who have to confront a peacekeeping mission should bear the burden of that, and we will be supportive as much as we can. But the United States is very much stretched across the globe trying to make sure that we contribute to peace and stability, but we are not the global policeman. Q: You gave a speech earlier this year, in which you said America is a superpower, we can't retreat from the Asia-Pacific region. Where then does Australia fit into that strategy? COHEN: Well, we maintain a very strong relationship with Australia. We have training missions together, we share intelligence, we share information, we share technologies, and so we look to Australia as being a very strong strategic partner of the United States. Q: But, you are saying, in the face of increased instability in this part of the world, Washington would expect Australia to play a greater role with less direct support from America? Cohen: Well, as a matter of fact, the United States is providing considerable support for this peacekeeping mission, and I don't think that that should be diminished. So, we expect to work with our partners, but we also expect countries in the region to assume the responsibility for helping to maintain the peace, and that's the message that I will carry to countries, such as the Philippines, also Singapore, Thailand, and others. This is not something that the United States can dictate, nor should dictate -- cannot dictate -- from Washington. This is something that is going to require the regional countries to ensure their peacekeeping mission. Q: So, that in a sense, we may be playing deputy to the United States? COHEN: Australia is not playing deputy to anyone. Australia is a country -- a sovereign country which believes in a strategic partnership with the United States. It is not a deputy of the United States, nor is the United States the policeman. We try to promote peace and stability, and democracy, and prosperity, and working on a bilateral basis with a number of countries in the region, but that should not be construed as the United States either seeking or trying to be a policeman of the world. Q: So just finally, you therefore, have a clear understanding of the status of our defense relationship with America and vice versa, and you're not confused by all this talk about a Howard Doctrine, and what it means? COHEN: We're not confused about the nature of our relationship with Australia. It's strong. It grows stronger each year. We're building upon that relationship, and we expect to do that in the future as well. Q: Mr. Secretary, thank you for your time today. Cohen: My pleasure. (end transcript)
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