President Obama warms ties with Indonesia; volcano may cut trip

[Turborama]

Source: Reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday for a visit aimed at boosting U.S. security and trade ties with Indonesia, and using the most populous Muslim nation to reach out to the wider Islamic world.

The visit to Indonesia, seen by Obama as an important destination for a variety of strategic and personal reasons, has been twice postponed and the White House said this 20-hour trip could be cut short because of atmospheric ash belched by eruptions from Mount Merapi volcano, 600 kms (375 miles) away.

Indonesia's importance as a U.S. ally is on the rise, even if the joy over Obama's election has faded since he became president almost two years ago.

Southeast Asia's biggest economy and a G20 member, Indonesia proved resilient to the financial crisis and has become a hot destination for emerging market investors looking to tap strong consumer demand, abundant resources and political stability. "We see in Indonesia the intersection of a lot of key American interests, and we see this as a partnership that is very important to the future of American interests in Asia and the world," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security advisor for strategic communications.

Read more: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/9/worldupdates/2010-11-09T155000Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-527596-4&sec=Worldupdates

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(more details at the link)

It's starting to sound like he won't be making his speech at Indonesia's largest Mosque due to Merapi's ongoing eruptions. I wonder how Faux news & the freepers are going to spin that...