Commentary: Cohen Trip Underscores U.S. Resolve in Asia,

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

02.02.1998

Courtesy Story

Defense.gov         

Two themes emerged early and intensified as Secretary of Defense William Cohen toured seven East Asian countries over 12 days in January. From warm and muggy Malaysia to the frigid Korean Demilitarized Zone, Cohen sent a clear message to our Asian allies: "We are with you in good times and bad." And although his focus was on U.S. security interests in the Asia-Pacific region, the secretary didn't hide his and the administration's increasing frustrations with Saddam Hussein. "Patience is a virtue, but not eternal," he at one point voiced in a veiled warning to Iraq.

This was Cohen's longest trip as defense secretary and came at a time when Asia is reeling from economic calamity. The financial crisis gripping the region is so strong, in fact, that Cohen repeatedly had to restate his journey's purpose -- to bolster and where possible, strengthen U.S. security interests in the region.

His mission was successful. In Beijing, he signed a military maritime agreement with China to prevent accidents or confrontations between the two nations' over-water naval and air forces. In Jakarta, he announced agreements reached with the Philippines to reintroduce visiting U.S. forces to that country following a long hiatus. And in Singapore, he received a commitment from Defense Minister Tony Tan for a new harbor built to U.S. specifications and accommodating American aircraft carriers and other ships of war.

As the secretary wended his way north, his rhetoric against Iraq sharpened, culminating on the flight deck of the USS Independence at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. He saluted the Indy's sailors and confirmed earlier reports the carrier would soon depart for the Persian Gulf. He then stepped up his verbal warnings to Iraq that the United States won't back down from its demand that the rogue nation comply with U.N. resolutions banning Iraqi production of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

"You are our warriors, ... our great diplomats," Cohen told the Indy's crew. And he had similar words of praise and thanksgiving for American service members in each of the countries he visited. From embassy courtyards to the Korean front line, he greeted soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines -- and civilian embassy staffs, too -- for their dedication and commitment.

Whenever he could, Cohen stepped away from his entourage of aides and traveling reporters to walk among the troops, shaking hands, patting backs, asking and answering questions. Although his schedule included meetings of tremendous import with heads of state and defense ministers, it was clear the secretary was most relaxed and happiest when he visited soldiers inside an armored vehicle at the DMZ or promoted a Marine security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The secretary didn't miss a chance to link U.S. forward military presence in East Asia to regional stability and security. In Korea, he cautioned newly elected President Kim Dae-Jung against cutting his country's defense budget as he grapples with Asia's worst-hit economy. In China, Cohen reasoned that the U.S.-Japan defense agreements don't threaten Asia's largest country but in fact provide it the stability to grow and prosper in a nonthreatening environment.

Long suspicious of one another and unsure of U.S. resolve in the face of the financial crisis, East Asian countries should be reassured following Cohen's visit. As the secretary so clearly stated, our military presence paved the way for Asia's spectacular growth, and our continued presence will enhance its recovery.

Saddam Hussein, on the other hand, can take little comfort from the defense leader's 12-day absence from the Pentagon. The secretary made it clear time and again in East Asia that U.S. resolve in the Persian Gulf is undiminished.

Story by Douglas J. Gillert, American Forces Press Service

• Date Taken: 02.02.1998
• Date Posted: 07.04.2025 00:42
• Story ID: 529919
• Location: WASHINGTON, US