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@ REVIEWS geopolitical future of their region. ing humanitarian cease-fires or after the B oO oO K S The main focus of this book, though, ison _ signing of peace agreements; it even uses 7 America's oil-centric dependence on Saudi the protection of corporations like Reviewed by Ruth Parnell Arabia and the lengths to which the rich and ExxonMobil against the populace. SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL: powerful on both sides will go to stay rich . Things haven't improved since 9/11, the How Washington Sold Our Soul For and powerful. Another focus is connecting war on terrorism" now another excuse for Saudi Crude the dots of Saudi-sourced funding of terror- the military and its government sponsors to ism in places like Afghanistan and Central justify more killing. Often the military puts by Robert Baer Asia, including Chechnya, and the various the blame on GAM, the Free Aceh Three Rivers Press, USA, 2003, 2004 US-based Saudi charities that knowingly or | Movement, which is conducting a guerrilla ISBN 1-4000-5268-8 (238pp tpb) not inevitably pipe funds to terrorist groups. war, and the people end up living in yet Availability: Three Rivers Press, Baer's book is full of jaw-dropping more fear. While Aceh has a rich history of http://www.crownpublishing.com intrigue, and time will tell how long the cor- _ fighting for independence that goes back to ‘ormer CIA operative Robert Baer (of rupt US-Saudi partnership will last. the 1870s and the beginning of the uprising L_bestseller See No Evil fame) presents a against the Dutch colonists, what's happen- disturbing portrait of the ruling Al-Sa'ud INDONESIA'S SECRET WAR IN ACEH _ ing in Aceh now is out of control. It's not an family of Saudi Arabia and its long-time , by John Martinkus easy ride for journalists, either, and our cosy relationship with prominent US politi- Random House Australia P/L, 2004 intrepid author is lucky to have survived. cal figures and corporations. Starting witha SBN 1-74051-209-X (340pp tpb) artinkus's main fear is that the world scenario prepared by US engineers on ‘ahility: community is blind to the reality of what's : : . Availability: Random House, ; : : President Reagan's orders on how terrorists going on in Aceh—and also to the plight of could easily blow up the Saudi oil fields and mere aera War the peoples of West Papua and Ambon in infrastructure, Baer suggests such a dooms- the Moluccas who are also subjected to day script is possible today—and if it hap- Indonesian military might, as reported in the pened, it would cause the world's economies final chapter. A huge wake-up call. Australian journalist John Martinkus did much to get the story out on the plight of the East Timorese under Indonesian rule prior to to collapse (the future Saudi peak oil disas- their gaining independence. Since then, he's - ter is really not part of his analysis). And turned his attention to the terrible price the with the House of Sa'ud becoming increas- Acehnese people are paying at the hands of ingly unpopular in Saudi Arabia for its greed the Indonesian military and various sepa- and corruption, it's no wonder that funda- ratist militia, including Islamic. mentalist Islamic groups are lighting the Three years in the preparation, Indonesia's fuse of a powder keg that's ready to explode. Secret War in Aceh is an eye-opening jour- In his field research for Sleeping with the ney through Aceh province in the northern- Devil, Baer found that his agency back- most part of the island of Sumatra. It's clear ground could still open doors to key contacts from the evidence that the military, presum- (the CIA, though, has redacted some para- ably acting for powerful vested interests, is graphs, words and dates, as indicated by the _ resisting the move for an independent Aceh black bars). His new afterword, written at all costs, using tactics from inciting fear after the US invasion of Iraq, includes inter- _ and hatred to arresting, torturing, raping and views with Islamic militants in Iraq and sev- murdering. To the military, it matters not eral neighbouring Arab nations on the whether it conducts its dirty campaigns dur- geopolitical future of their region. The main focus of this book, though, is on America's oil-centric dependence on Saudi Arabia and the lengths to which the rich and powerful on both sides will go to stay rich and powerful. Another focus is connecting the dots of Saudi-sourced funding of terror- ism in places like Afghanistan and Central Asia, including Chechnya, and the various US-based Saudi charities that knowingly or not inevitably pipe funds to terrorist groups. Baer's book is full of jaw-dropping intrigue, and time will tell how long the cor- rupt US-Saudi partnership will last. ing humanitarian cease-fires or after the signing of peace agreements; it even uses the protection of corporations like ExxonMobil against the populace. Things haven't improved since 9/11, the "war on terrorism" now another excuse for the military and its government sponsors to justify more killing. Often the military puts the blame on GAM, the Free Aceh Movement, which is conducting a guerrilla war, and the people end up living in yet more fear. While Aceh has a rich history of fighting for independence that goes back to the 1870s and the beginning of the uprising against the Dutch colonists, what's happen- ing in Aceh now is out of control. It's not an easy ride for journalists, either, and our intrepid author is lucky to have survived. Martinkus's main fear is that the world community is blind to the reality of what's going on in Aceh—and also to the plight of the peoples of West Papua and Ambon in the Moluccas who are also subjected to Indonesian military might, as reported in the final chapter. A huge wake-up call. ~ _ John ee ees t Site SE CTE E LAA, Fe NEXUS +65 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2004 www.nexusmagazine.com