June 01, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

SINGAPORE, May 31: The United States will not disengage from Asia despite growing political and military commitments in the Middle East, the US defence chief said on Saturday.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates also slammed Myanmar’s ruling generals at a security summit in Singapore for costing “tens of thousands of lives” by thwarting the international community’s attempts to help survivors of devastating Cyclone Nargis with relief aid.

“For those who worry that Iraq and Afghanistan have distracted the United States from Asia and developments here, I would counter that we have never been more engaged with more (Asian) countries,” Gates told the Shangri-La Dialogue.

His comments were aimed at allaying fears by some in the region that US military and political commitments in the Middle East will pull it away from Asia, and that a weak American economy will leave the next US administration little time and inclination to strengthen ties to the region.

US interests in Asia “will endure no matter which political party occupies the White House next year,” Gates said at the annual meeting of defence ministers and military officials, which is organised by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

One participant expressed concern that with growing economic uncertainty, the US may not be able to afford its huge presence in Asia — including military bases in Japan, the Philippines and South Korea and a massive naval deployment in the Pacific Ocean.

“There are enormous budgetary pressures building up in the United States,” said Kishore Mabhubani, a Singapore diplomat. “At some point the US electorate will ask, ‘Why do we need to have such a sizable military presence in Asia?’”

Although US military bases arouse anger among some in Asia, most governments feel a US presence is crucial — not only as protection from non-Asian threats, but also to counterbalance the military strength of China and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

Gates said the US role in Asia is not just about its military. The United States is in the region “as an ally, partner, and friend,” offering a range of non-military help such as humanitarian relief after the cyclone in Myanmar and earthquake in China.

In response to a question after the speech, Gates rejected the suggestion that US foreign policy is contradictory because it offers the carrot to North Korea’s communist regime to contain its nuclear programme, while wielding only the stick against Myanmar’s ruling generals.

Unlike North Korea, Myanmar has shown no interest in talking to the US, Gates said, and other countries have had “zero influence” in getting the junta to open up and accept international assistance for its recent cyclone victims.

Delivering some of the strongest criticism by a senior US official, Gates said the junta’s refusal to accept international aid has cost “tens of thousands of lives.”

“We have reached out. They have kept their hands in their pockets,” said Gates. “It’s not been us that has been deaf and dumb in response to the pleas of the international community, but the government of Myanmar.”

On Friday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Myanmar’s military rulers may have rejected international help over fears of exposing their own inadequacies.

“They also fear the political consequences of opening up the disaster zone to international aid teams. This might show up their own incapability and undermine their credibility and legitimacy,” Lee said.—AP