June 20, 2005 N°4 - ISSN : 1762-5157

UNITED STATES, TERRORIST STATE Available Arab Brain Time The Confessions of INTERNATIONAL OP-ED The International Herald Tribune has resumed discussions about the Luis Posada Carriles role of advertisement in the implementation of Latin America is mobilizing to support the the “Great ” extradition request against Luis Posada policy objectives. The Carriles, currently sheltered in Miami and paper is again giving the protected by the Bush Administration. The floor to two specialists, Cuban-born terrorist has become a symbol Maurice Lévy and John of the US methods of hemispheric M. McNeel. Though they domination and its double standard: on the have both reached one hand, they declare a global war on different conclusions, the terrorism and, on the other, they use it. initial hypothesis of This case is even more outrageous these two authors is the considering that, four years ago, protected same: the Arab States by his impunity, Posada Carriles revealed might be driven to all the truth to the New York Times. accept any policy page 2 provided that it is well sold to them. page 8

JUNE 13, 1971 The Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg, a high U.S. official, who felt indignant at the reality of the Vietnam war, decided to illegally send the documents in his hands to the press. On June 13, 1971, the U.S. East coast reference daily, the New-York Times, started the publication of those Pentagon Papers: 7000 pages of classified defense secrets. Those revelations had the effect of a bomb. Far from what was presented by the official propaganda, they brought out the disastrous political handling of the war as well as countless atrocities. President Richard Nixon and his administration vainly tried to ban the publication in the name of national security. Daniel Ellsberg would pay dearly for his public- spiritedness, but gave the U.S. democracy new DOUGLAS WOOD’S ACCIDENTAL FREEDOM encouragement, making people become rapidly According to the official version, Australian hostage Douglas Wood was aware of their opinion and the U.S. retreat from set free on June 14, 2005 by the Iraq forces near Baghdad, as a result Vietnam. of a routine control. In an ordinary statement, basically identical to that of the rest of the governments under similar circumstances, the Australian authorities asserted that they had neither paid the ransom nor made any kind of political concessions. By the end of 2003, 203 foreigners had been taken hostages in Iraq, either for mean or political reasons. Of them, 33 were murdered, some in a sordid manner; 85 released; 3 escaped and two were rescued.

Through original investigations and analysis, everyday the Focus section highlights a trend in international events.

United States, Terrorist State The Confessions of Luis Posada Carriles

Latin America is mobilizing to support the extradition request against Luis Posada Carriles, currently sheltered in Miami and protected by the Bush Administration. The Cuban-born terrorist has become a symbol of the US methods of hemispheric domination and its double standard: on the one hand, they declare a global war on terrorism and, on the other, they use it. This case is even more outrageous considering that, four years ago, protected by his impunity, Posada Carriles revealed all the truth to the New York Times.

On July 12 and 13, 1998, the New York Times Published a series of long articles based on interviews with Cuban-born terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, which caused different reactions in the United States and abroad.

In his statements to the American news daily, Posada Carriles openly acknowledged, with complete cynicism, his participation in terrorist activities and the financial support he received from the Cuban American National Foundation. The activities include sabotage, assassination attempts, and other similar actions against Cuba like the sabotage against a Cubana airliner off the coast of Barbados in 1976 that killed 73 innocent people, including the Cuban national junior fencing team. Those revelations explain the current lack of

Page 2 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net action by US authorities in regards to the extradition request.

In the first of those articles, the newspaper read:

“A Cuban exile, who has waged a campaign of bombings and assassination attempts aimed at toppling Fidel Castro, says that his efforts were supported financially for more than a decade by the Cuban-American leaders of one of America’s most influential lobbying groups.

“The exile, Luis Posada Carriles, said he organized a wave of bombings in Cuba at hotels, restaurants and dance clubs, killing an Italian tourist and alarming the Cuban Government. Posada Carriles was trained in guerrilla warfare by the Central Intelligence Agency in the 1960’s.

“In a series of taped interviews at a walled Caribbean compound, Posada Carriles said the hotel bombings (in Havana) and other operations had been approved by leaders of the Cuban-American National Foundation. Its founder and leader, Jorge Mas Canosa, who recently died, was embraced at the White House by Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton.”

The article in the New York Times continued as follows:

Although the tax-exempt foundation has declared that it seeks to bring down Cuba’s communist government solely through peaceful means, Posada Carriles said leaders of the foundation discreetly financed his operations. Mas Canosa personally supervised the flow of money and logistical support, he said.

“Jorge controlled everything,” Posada said. “Whenever I needed money, I said: give me $5,000, give me $10,000, give me $15,000, and they sent it to me.”

Posada Carriles estimated that over the years Mas Canosa sent him more than $200,000."He never said, ’This is from the foundation,’” Posada Carriles recalled. Rather, he said with a chuckle, the money arrived with the message, "This is for the church."”

According to the authors of the articles, “for the first time Posada Carriles described the role that he himself played in some of the most important episodes of the Cold War, in which Cuban exiles were key players. He was trained for the Bay of Pigs at a camp in Guatemala, but did not participate in the landing on Cuban beaches (...) Cuban exiles like Posada Carriles were recruited by the CIA for subsequent attempts on Fidel Castro’s life.”

“Jailed for one of the most infamous anti-Cuban attacks - the 1976 bombing of a civilian Cubana airliner - he escaped from a Venezuelan prison to join the centerpiece of the Reagan White House’s anti-Communist crusade in the “Western Hemisphere”: Lieut. Col. Oliver North’s clandestine effort to supply arms to Nicaraguan contras.”

The New York Times went on:

“Some of what he said about his past can be easily verified through recently

Page 3 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net declassified government documents, as well as interviews with former foundation members and American officials.”

The newspaper highlighted a statement made by Posada Carriles, who noted that “American law enforcement authorities maintained an attitude of benign neglect toward him for most of his career, allowing him to remain free and active.”

The New York Times noted that: “The exiles’ foundation, created in 1981, sought to portray itself as the responsible voice of the Cuban exile community, dedicated to weakening the Castro regime through politics rather than force. Thanks to that approach and millions in campaign donations, the foundation became one of Washington’s most effective lobbying organizations and a principal architect of American policy toward Cuba.”

“Any evidence that the foundation and its leaders were dispensing money to Republicans and Democrats while they supported sabotage and bombings could weaken the group’s claim to legitimacy.”

The newspaper then stressed that “Posada Carriles’ remarks hinted that the foundation’s public advocacy of purely non-violent opposition to Castro was a carefully crafted fiction (...)”

In his interviews and in his autobiography, “The Roads of the Warrior,” Posada Carriles said he had received financial support from Mas Canosa and Feliciano Foyo, treasurer of the group, as well as Alberto Hernández, who succeeded Mas as chairman.

In his autobiography, Posada Carriles said foundation leaders helped pay his medical and living expenses and paid for his transportation from Venezuela to Central America after his 1985 jailbreak.

“At times—Posada Carriles said—cash was delivered from Miami by other exiles, like Gaspar Jiménez, who was jailed in Mexico in the 1976 killing of a Cuban diplomat there. Jiménez is now an employee of the medical clinic that Dr. Hernández operates in Miami, according to employees at the office.”

The authors of the article recalled that:

When the bombs began exploding at Cuban hotels, the government there asserted that the attacks had been organized and paid for by exiles operating from Miami, a claim it bolstered with the videotape of an operative confessing to have carried out some of the bombings.

More recently, reports in The Miami Herald and the state-controlled Cuban press tied the operation to Posada Carriles. However, the New York Times said that American authorities had made no effort to question him about the case. Posada Carriles attributed that lack of action in part to his longstanding relationship with the CIA and American law enforcement agencies.

“As you can see,” said Posada Carriles, “the FBI and the CIA don’t bother me,

Page 4 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net and I am neutral with them. Whenever I can help them, I do.”

The newspaper indicated that Posada Carriles gave conflicting accounts of his contacts with American authorities. Initially he spoke of enduring ties with United States intelligence agencies and of close friendship with at least two current FBI officials, including an important official in the Washington office. “I know a very high-up person there,” he said.

The newspaper noted that Posada Carriles immediately asked that those comments be omitted from any article and said it had been years since he had had these close dealings.

“An American government official said the CIA has not had a relationship with Posada Carriles "in decades," and the FBI also denied his assertions. "The FBI does not have nor has it ever had a longstanding relationship with Posada."”

Declassified documents published in Washington by the National Security Archives support Posada Carriles’ suggestion that the FBI and the CIA had detailed knowledge of his operations against Cuba from the early 1960’s to the mid-1970’s.

G. Robert Blakey, chief counsel to the 1978 House Select Committee on Assassinations, said he had reviewed many of the FBI’s classified files about anti-Castro Cubans from 1978 and had noted many instances in which the bureau turned a blind eye to possible violations of the law. As he put it, "When I read some of those things, and I’m an old Federal prosecutor, I thought, ’Why isn’t someone being indicted for this?’ "

“Posada was direct and unrepentant as to one issue: he still intends to try to kill Castro, and he believes violence is the best method for ending Communism in Cuba.”

About this topic, the New York Times indicated that “Posada Carriles proudly admitted authorship of the hotel bomb attacks (in Havana) last year,” actions that he described as “acts of war” intended to deprive Cuba of foreign tourism and investment. He added that the bombs also aimed at “sowing doubts abroad about the stability of the regime, to make Cuba think he had operatives in the military and to encourage internal opposition.”

As to the death of the Italian tourist, Posada described it as a “freak accident”. He said: “That the Italian man was sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time.” And added that “he had a clear conscience” and quoted him saying “I sleep like a baby.”

Posada Carriles described Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon, the Salvadoran whom Cuban authorities arrested and accused of carrying out several of the bomb attacks, as a “mercenary” and added that Cruz Leon “worked for him like maybe a dozen others who were still free.”

Posada Carriles declared that “the hotel bombings were organized from El Salvador and Guatemala. Explosives were obtained through his contacts there,

Page 5 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net and subordinates in turn recruited couriers like Cruz Leon to take the explosives into Cuba and detonate them against carefully selected targets.”

The New York Times also reported the following events:

“Posada Carriles said Mas Canosa was very much aware that he was behind the hotel bombing campaign last year.”

Posada Carriles acknowledged that he has at least four passports, all in different names and nationalities. He also admitted to having an American passport but he would not discuss how he had obtained it or disclose the name in it, saying only that he occasionally uses it to visit the United States "unofficially."

In a second article published in the same July 12 edition, the New York Times quotes a Cuban-born businessman called Antonio Jorge Alvarez, living in Guatemala, who had watched with growing concern as two of his partners - working with a man who turn out to be Posada Carriles - acquired explosives and detonators, congratulating each other on a job well done every time a bomb went off in Cuba. He even overheard the men talk of assassinating Fidel Castro at a conference of Latin American heads of state to be held in Margarita Island, Venezuela.

Alvarez told the newspaper that, alarmed, he went to Guatemalan security officials. When they did not respond, he wrote a letter that eventually found its way into the hands of officials of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The letter elicited what Alvarez described as an “indifferent response.”

About this topic, the newspaper indicated, Posada Carriles expressed confidence that the FBI was not examining his operations in Guatemala, because "the first person they would want to talk to is me."

The article made reference to Alvarez’s unease. “I think they are all in cahoots, Posada and the FBI (...) I risked my life and my business, and they did nothing.”

Finally, in an article published on July 13, the New York Times published a detailed report of the anti-Cuban activities of Luis Posada Carriles: member of a second wave of landings during the Bay of Pigs invasion that never landed; trained in “demolition” techniques, propaganda and intelligence at a CIA training camp in Fort Benning; he also participated in clandestine actions against Cuba, organized from the United States and other countries of the hemisphere, and in the sabotage against the Cubana airliner in Barbados; in addition, he worked with another Cuban-born CIA agent, Felix Rodriguez, in a secret operation to provide Nicaraguan “contras” with weapons and other equipment; he also participated in the organization - from Central America - of anti-Cuba operations in the late 1980s, among other dirty-war actions against Cuba.

The newspaper again quoted Posada Carriles:

“The C.I.A. taught us many things, explosives and their use, how to kill, bombs,

Page 6 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net and sabotage. When the Cubans were working for the CIA they were called patriots.”

Many media outlets, in the United States and abroad, echoed the articles of the New York Times and commented those revelations. The Cuban American National Foundation denied the accusations and Posada Carriles tried to take back what he had said.

However, the New York Times confirmed the veracity of its articles. As a spokesman of the newspaper said, the interviews recorded with Posada Carriles exist and the newspaper has the tapes.

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Every day, the International Op-Ed section presents an overview and analysis of the positions of the major international decision makers and manipulators.

Available Arab Brain Time

The International Herald Tribune has resumed discussions about the role of advertisement in the implementation of the “Great Middle East” policy objectives. The paper is again giving the floor to two specialists, Maurice Lévy and John M. McNeel. Though they have both reached different conclusions, the initial hypothesis of these two authors is the same: the Arab States might be driven to accept any policy provided that it is well sold to them.

Analysis

The International Herald Tribune has reopened the debate about the role of advertisement in the implementation of the “Great Middle East” policy objectives. The daily has called upon two specialists to speak. President and General Director of the Publicis Group - the world’s second mass media group - Maurice Lévy is an active member in favor of the advertising campaign that he developed for the Peres Center For Peace and the Palestinian Economic Forum, with 80 professionals from the region and the support of the Paris’ City Hall "for peace". Lévy presented his initiative at the World Economic Forum in Jordan, of which he is one of the seven co-presidents, in the presence of Mrs. Bush. He asserted that this campaign could create the popular basis on which the peace of tomorrow could be built. However, we can be amazed at the Publicis commitment over this issue. In fact, isn’t this the same advertising group to which the Sharon’s government asked to organize the media campaigns in favor of the annexation Wall in the West Bank, and which has been entrusted by the Bush administration with handling the image of the U.S. troops? Besides that, the hypothesis is weird. It is not difficult to sell peace to the peoples of Israel and Palestine. Problems arise out of the conditions of this peace, leaving aside the fact that T.V. slots revolve around the English slogan “We hope someday you will join us”, as though it indeed wanted to persuade the nations to accept the Pax Americana. Publicist John M. McNeel, on his side, considers that the media campaigns in the Arab world lead to nowhere. It’d be best to insert the Arab elites in the U.S. system. The author is a member of the Business for Diplomatic Action - a group of companies aiming at improving the image of the United States in the world in order to promote and back this country’s trademarks and sales. Having made

Page 8 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net sure that the United States is seen as a hypocritical nation, he considers that supplementary advertisements contribute nothing. Recalling the media principles of the “two-step flow”, of Lazarsfeld, he states that it is better to convince the Arab elites to become the missionaries of the U.S. word before the masses. Though they reach different conclusions, the starting point of these two authors is the same: The Arabs might accept any policy as long as it is well sold to them. So far, in order to persuade the Arabs, the Bush administration has adopted the vocabulary of revolutionary democrats. That way, its popularity has come to a stop (how could it be in the face of its crimes?), but has helped to decry those who were sincerely active for a democratization of the Arab world. A group of Arab intellectuals shows its indignation in the Al Ahram at the semantic deviation of the words “democracy” and “resistance”. Today, the former is used to justify an imperial policy and the latter to glorify the preservation in power of local magnates, who ratify their faith in a real liberalism, inspired by the West experience, but which rejects the superficiality of the United States, a country which does not symbolize anymore the model it claims for.

The Arabs are not the only ones to doubt Washington’s democratization policy. Bush administration followers fear that this rhetoric might place the United States in a blind alley and force it to accept hostile regimes. In the Daily Star, American Enterprise Institute researcher Michael Rubin stated that the Bush administration must stop all kinds of aid to Islamist movements in the “Great Middle East” and support only, in the elections, favorable parties. As a good believer in the “clash of civilizations”, he superficially mingled in his analysis Muslim anti-imperialist groups with Islamist movements that are loyal to Washington. In the Wall Street Journal, neo-conservative thinker Francis Fukuyama challenged these arguments basing on the example of South-East Asia. Like in the case of the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia, Washington needs to understand that formal democracies serve its purposes better than dictatorial regimes. The latter can be overthrown by the people’s discontent. It is true that the elected governments can adopt policies that may be contrary to the U.S. interests, but the control in the region is more solid since the Asian democratization took place in the late 1980’s.

Voltaire Network

Page 9 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net

Maurice Lévy

Maurice Lévy runs the Groupe Publicis. “Advertising for a lasting peace”

Référence : “Advertising for a lasting peace”, by Maurice Lévy, International Herald Tribune, June 9, 2005.

Despite difficulties, Israelis and Palestinians have reached an agreement. However, peace will not be achieved tomorrow. The belligerents have agreed only to carry out a publicity campaign to foster peace. It seemed irrelevant, but it was another stone in the bridge between both peoples. It was a promise for the future. In order to enhance this approach, my friends of the Peres Center for Peace and the Palestinian Economic Forum met with other leaders of advertising agencies and me to think about the most effective way to promote peace. In the 60’s, a publicity campaign managed to raise people’s awareness on environmental issues in the United States. Why not considering that it could equally foster the people’s support for peace? We need a unique message suitable for both peoples. Conceiving this campaign was not easy but I was proud to present it to the World Economic Forum in Jordan. Today, we are trying to raise funds to disseminate these messages. The efforts made by Israelis and Palestinians in favor of this campaign raised new hopes again. Advertising does not replace the efforts for peace but should be able to mobilize the people because without people’s support we will not achieve any objective.

John M. McNeel

John M. McNeel is an advertising agent and “America, spare Arabs the spin” member of Business for Diplomatic Action. Référence : “America, spare Arabs the spin”, by John M. McNeel, International Herald Tribune, June 9, 2005.

As an advertising agent who ran an advertising agency network in the Middle East for several years and who still visits the region on a regular basis, the stupidity of the United States to try to control the opinion since September 11, 2001, is still surprising for me. Recently, Charney’s report, requested by the Council on Foreign Relations, advocated to carry out an advertising campaign at a cost of 10 million dollars to fight against the anti- Americanism in the Arabic world. However, what this region needs the least is a campaign of this kind. I personally witnessed the skepticism that triggered the appointment of Karen

Page 10 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net Hughes as responsible for public diplomacy. It is time to focus on the actions and put an end to the speeches. All the Arabic population feel now that the United States is a hypocrite. In these conditions, any advertising campaign would only be seen as a new means to hide the truth. The money for this campaign would be better used to implement useful programs for the Arabic society. University programs for students’ exchanges would be more interesting for a region where 65% of the population is under 25 years. As indicated by Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action, university exchanges contribute somehow to break up the recruiting networks of Bin Laden. The American business sector still fascinates Arab youngsters. Hence, an important role could be played. It could contribute with resources as well as its pragmatism.

A Collective of Arab Intellectuals

Ibrahim Al-Haydary; Ibrahim Gharyba; Osama “The liberalism that we espouse” El-Ghazali Harb; El-Sayed Yassin; El-Moeti Qabal; Référence : “The liberalism we espouse”, by a group of Arabian intellectuals, Al Ahram, Bashir Al-Bakr; Torki Al- June 9, 2005. Hamad; Gamal Nazal; Hazem El-Biblawi; Hazem The challenges faced by our nations oblige the intellectuals of all professions to Saghiya; Hydar Ibrahim; adopt reasonable positions with regard to a number of urgent matters. We, Dalal Al-Bizri; Sami Zoubaida; Samir Al- liberal Arabs, issued an urgent appeal against the fanatical simplification of the Youssef; Sadiq Galal Al- matters pertaining to the region. We want to bring to an end the major appeals Azm; Salah Issa; Taha of great words such as “democracy” or “resistance” that so far have led to Abdel-Alim; Abdel-Nour fragmentation and perpetuation of the defeat. Ben Antar; Fawzia Al- The liberalism that we adopted expresses our loyalty to the modern and Bakr; Abbas Shiblaq; Mohamed Al-Hadad; visionary values and should not be seen as an expression of loyalty to the United Mona Makram Ebeid; States. It is true that we are inspired by the West. However, we do not forget the Nabil Abdel-Fattah; Yassin work of the sheikh Mohammed Abdu and his disciples. Neither have we Al-Haj Saleh; Wahid Abdel- forgotten that there have been governments from the West that have turned Meguid; Nasr Hamed Abu their backs on those values in the name of material benefits. A distinction Zeid. between the ideas and their origin has to be made. Contrary to neoconservatives, we think that democracy is the completion of a project and not a starting point. We welcome the fall of dictators but foreign intervention is not the most appropriate way to achieve that. Regardless of what might be considered about the Syrian regime, we cannot wish Damascus to experience what Baghdad did. We feel that the West should also recover its values, respect the law and turn its back on fundamentalism. We condemn the statements supporting the martyrs as we condemn the violations of the rights of the Palestinians by Israel. We denounce the condemns against globalization when our region needs investments, but we also condemn the silence that surrounds the fate of the poorest. The Arabic countries should get interested in new ideas.

Page 11 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net Michael Rubin

Michael Rubin is a researcher of the “To Islamists, one man, one vote, one American Enterprise time, means dictatorship” Institute, at the Washington Institute for Référence : “To Islamists, one man, one vote, one time, means dictatorship”, by Michael Near East Policy and an Rubin, Daily Star, June 7, 2005. expert with the Cabinet of Public Relations Benador Associates. He was the George W. Bush has placed democracy in the focus of his policy in the Middle advisor to the Coalition East, a policy that has triggered the opposition from adversaries like Bachar El Provisional Authority in Assad, and pro-North Americans dictators like Hosni Mubarak. Bush might Iraq and advisor to Donald boast about the victory in the elections of Iraq and Palestine, but a vote is not an Rumsfeld on Iraq and election. at the Pentagon. Certainly, the United States is skeptical about the democratic process in Egypt, Tunisia, or the municipal elections in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, it odes not share the same skepticism with regard to the Islamic movements that participate in the elections, when the only interest that the Islamists see in democracy is the control of the minority by the majority and the possibility to get to power. Once in power, they dream of establishing theocracies and suppress the right to vote. Today, the Bush administration is very condescending with the , with Hamas or with the Muslim Brothers. Condoleezza Rice, likewise, invited the members of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq to the White House. On the other hand, many people have interpreted the appointment of Laith Kubba of the National Endowment for Democracy as the spokesman of Ibrahim Al-Jaafari as a support to its Islamist program. If true democracies are to be achieved, the democratic parties have to be supported, not the parties that want to use democracy.

Francis Fukuyama

Francis Fukuyama is a professor of International “Asia’s Democratic Values” Economic Policy at the School of Advanced Référence : “Asia’s Democratic Values”, by Francis Fukuyama, Wall Street Journal, May International Studies of 29, 2005. Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of La fin When Suharto lies on its deathbed and its successor in Indonesia is visiting de l’histoire and, more Washington, it is interesting to observe the changes in the Far East since 1967. recently, of Our Posthuman Future. He is That year, the United States fought in Viet Nam, China carried out its Cultural the administrator of the Revolution, Suharto ascended to power fighting against the communist guerrilla National Endowment for and the only democracy in the region was Japan. Nowadays, democracy has Democracy and been widely expanded across that region, which also enjoys a great economic administrated the Rand growth. That democratic revolution was the result of the changes in the US Corporation. He worked as policies made by Ronald Reagan. an expert in the Department of State- It began with the people’s revolution in the Philippines after the assassination >http://www.state.gov/]. of Benigno Aquino. Paul Wolfowitz and George P. Shultz then convinced

Page 12 June 20, 2005 Voltaire - www.voltairenetwork.net Reagan not to support Marcos anymore. In the next two years, the United States demanded the implementation of reforms in South Korea and Taiwan. This showed that the promotion of democracy was not a new policy. Establishing a democracy in Asia was difficult and chaotic. Negotiating the crisis of development was a delicate matter. It was not easy for the United States to handle those crises, especially because some of the elected governments had policies contrary to our interests. Nevertheless, the Indonesian example proved that democracy was not contrary to the Asian values or to Islam, as some people believed. And we should not forget either that today Asia is much friendlier to us than when Suharto took power.

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