Jakarta, NU Online
Ahead of the visit of the US President George W Bush to Indonesia on coming 20 November, many speculations were made public in raising its symbolic meaning. A number of national circles suggested that his visit to RI was aimed at targeting the beloved country of ours as the US power orbit in Southeast Asia region.

“As the world’ most populous Muslim country, Indonesia is considered as having power in Southeast Asia. That’s why, through the Bush’s visit (to RI), US wants to convince the Indonesian government,” the Head of Information-Communication Division of Institute for Strategic Studies of Indonesia (ISSI), Hendrajit told NU Online on Wednesday (8/11).

<>According to Hendrajit, both the Philipines and Singapore being so far as the US allies had no such bargaining power in Southeast Asia region. The two countries had not given yet adequately contribution for US to strengthen its foreign policy.

The director of Indonesian Future Institute also said that Bush’s administration had been now likely haunted by such deeply paranoid and anxiety. "His policy makers on security affairs are now undertaking a high-level diplomatic persuasion to call on Asean nations to set up such a military alliance that so-called as Asean Defense Forum (ADF)".

“The US is now deeply concern over its all predictions through a number of research studies, predicting that the People’s Republic of China would emerge as a gigantic power in Pacific Asia. And this makes US extremely paranoid,” Hendrajit said. (dar)