Vast business opportunities to open if US attacks Iraq, says Indonesian think-tank
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Kuala Lumpur, Dec 10, IRNA -- The Indonesian Institute for Strategic Studies (LPSI) predicted that vast business opportunities would arise for businessmen in countries rich in natural resources such as Indonesia if the US attacked Iraq.
"The business opportunities during the 1991 (Persian) Gulf War were recognized by neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia to supply, among other things, mineral water, food and other materials, except weapons, LPSI Chairman Rudini was quoted by Antara news agency as saying in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Rudini, who is a former home minister and army chief of staff, said that Indonesia had not anticipated those effects from the 1991 (Persian) Gulf War, especially since almost all of its intelligence agencies had predicted that war would not happen.
He disclosed that business people at the time lodged complaints with the government, saying they had missed the chance to exploit the business opportunities that the war presented.
In the 1991 (Persian) Gulf War, he said, there was a coalition of 500,000 soldiers who needed requisitions that Malaysia and Singapore supplied, to cite an example of the vast business opportunities awaiting Indonesia if the US attacks Iraq.
LPSI is to hold a seminar entitled `The Impact on Indonesian Politics, Security and Economy in the Event of a US Attack on Iraq' in the middle of this month.
Several businessmen and political observers have been lined up to speak at the seminar.
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