Australian troops in Aceh will remain unarmed after the officer in charge of the 600 soldiers helping tsunami victims said security risks in the war-torn Indonesian province were not sufficient for them to carry weapons. “There’s no need for us to be armed,” said Brigadier David Chalmers after spending a day inspecting damage on Aceh’s isolated west coast. Despite the arrival of hardline, anti-western Islamic groups in the province, and the long-running separatist war there, Brigadier Chalmers said he was confident the Indonesian Army was providing sufficient security. “I don’t underestimate them,” he said of the radical groups. “There are risks, there are always risks, but our focus is on humanitarian aid and disaster relief and our focus is to monitor the security situation but I will not let that distract me doing the job we are here to do.” Full Story
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