THATS WhY . . . . Political Islam is on the rise in Indonesia and rising alongside it is the country’s importance to U.S. national security. As the pendulum of American attention swings toward Asia in a calculated “pivot” aimed at countering shifting realities in the regional power balance, a familiar foe deploying equally familiar and sinister tactics threatens to destabilize this key partner in the vitally important Southeast Asia region: Islamic extremism. While the shift in American resources and attention to Asia may be driven by broader geopolitical and economic interests, as outlined in the president’s national security strategy, the threat of domestic religious radicalism and terrorism remains real in Indonesia. Without strong leadership, this internal threat will have a profound impact on Indonesia’s ability to be the strategic regional partner the U.S. needs it to be. Wibawanto Nugroho is a former International Fellow from Indonesia at the U.S. National Defense University and Fulbright Presidential Scholar. He is the U.S. Representative for the Gerindra Party and a Spokesperson for leading Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 13:46:54 +0000
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