Show of rage more bark than bite
The widespread distrust of Australia currently displayed in Asian reactions to Mr Howard's desire for pre-emptive strikes has yet to over-ride long-standing distrust between Asian neighbours, analysts believe.
Scant official support is being offered in Southeast Asia for calls from some politicians that Asean react as a group against Australian Prime Minister John Howard's comments on pre-emptive strikes.
The recent history of co-operation within the region on security issues also suggests that the many predictable statements of outrage towards Australia this week are unlikely to be translated into any new security riposte. 'If you look carefully at the statements coming from Asean member governments, you'll see that government reactions have on the whole been more circumspect and cautious than those coming from politicians with constituencies to impress,' said one Asean envoy.
Reacting to calls from two Philippine congressmen for a new Asean security pact to counter Australian 'aggression', he noted particularly calming words from Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda.
'Let's wait and see, let's not overreact,' the envoy said. 'We can all understand the angst which Australia is going through since the Bali bombings, but we are not yet clear of the context of Howard's remarks. We're looking to see what he actually means.'
Another diplomat argued that there is an element in Asian reactions to Mr Howard's comments of using Australia as America's 'whipping boy' over the whole issue of cross-border pre-emptive action. The US announced in September that its revised national security doctrine allows for pre-emptive action in the national interest, and Mr Howard's admittedly loose talk only reinforces the American position.
The distaste previously felt but left unexpressed towards the US position is now being released with full vigour against Australia, an easier target to rail against.
As for suggestions that new Asean measures are required to counter Australia's apparently interventionist stance, analysts who have watched the work of the Asian Regional Forum, the Asia-wide informal security grouping, say closer military or security co-operation within the region remains a far-distant prospect.
The forum is less than a decade old and is years away from becoming a cohesive body like Nato. Some forum member countries have long-standing security pacts with the US and there are also deep historical antipathies between Asean member states.
