Welcome to the Fall 2004 issue of Asia-Pacific Defense FORUM. In this issue, you will read about the efforts of our Asia-Pacific friends and allies to come together and to – in the words of the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Darryl N. Johnson to Exercise COBRA GOLD participants – “protect the region from the menace of militants and terrorists who seek to destroy the fabric of our free societies.”
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Royal Thai Army members conduct morning flag raising ceremonies on Korat RTAFB.
Photo by TSgt. Jonathan F. Doti, USAF |
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In this installment you will read about some of the region’s efforts to stem this challenge. For instance, the 12th annual Pacific Area Special Operations Conference (PASOC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, brought together special operations officers from 24 Asia-Pacific countries to discuss the impact of transnational threats, such as narcotics trafficking, piracy, and the proliferation of arms and materiel, and their link to terrorism and regional security. Another effort is the participation of liaison officers from the navies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in the U.S. Navy’s Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise in the Philippine and South China seas.
Even our annual COBRA GOLD exercise has grown to include five participating nations from the region, along with observers from 11 nations, all of whom are intent on making the region safer. This exercise not only enhances security by improving and testing readiness and interoperability between participating forces, but also incorporates humanitarian activities, such as medical care, construction of facilities for schools and care homes, and educational support.
Lastly, you will find a short article on the annual Australia-New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) observance, honoring those who lost their lives in the Battle for Gallipoli during World War I. This year’s celebration in Honolulu, Hawaii, had special meaning commemorating not only the historic events surrounding ANZAC Day but also recognizing the spirit, tenacity and courage with which the participating nations fought.
Like the United States, the military forces of our friends and allies are significantly more capable than they were just a decade ago, both individually and in coalition arrangements. This fact directly affects our responses to traditional and emerging security concerns. And in the current new transnational threat context, our mutual security interests are linked as never before. The instantaneous nature of the global economy and global information network mean that all of us will collectively and quickly prosper – or suffer – together. And no nation alone can secure itself or improve this region and the world for others; optimum security requires the concerted and coordinated efforts of many.
An Asian philosopher once said, “The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come; when in a state of security, does not forget the possibility of ruin; when all is orderly, does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.”
Threats against our security today demand a more proactive, a more multilateral, and frankly, a more courageous approach. That is precisely what we hope to do as we work together in the Asia-Pacific region and in other regions to continue to secure our world.
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