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The whole Tsunami Relief effort by the military was gallant, and the Indonesian Government's actions have been corrupt and shameful.

In the early days of the relief campaign, US aid dwarfed all others--including the UN and all Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The sight of C-130's landing was seen by the victims themselves as a powerful testimony to what the Americans were doing. This was not lost on the Indonesian government. They quickly told the US that the C-130s only could land at night, so they would be out of sight. During one incident, Al Jazeera reporters even called Jakarta to complain that the sight of US aircraft landing looked bad for the Muslim world.

They also started denying flights diplomatic clearance to some provinces. The local governments were screaming for the aid, but the corrupt clan in Jakarta was too busy counting the money flowing in and playing politics.

So now, we have all but left.

The Indonesian gov has acknoweldged some of the good we've done:

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Revealingly, some of the most supportive comments of the US efforts came from Indonesians. The comments of the Indonesian Foreign Minister were reported by the New York Times:

For his part, Mr. Wirajuda, a Harvard Law School graduate, went out of his way to praise the performance of the American military in the aid effort. "We particularly appreciate the crucial role that the United States armed forces play in providing helicopters for relief assistance for victims and survivors at the remote and isolated areas," he said. (53)

Eight days after the Tsunami hit an Indonesian military spokesmen described the American effort:

"They've helped us reach places we have not had the time, or manpower, or equipment to go to," said Col. Basuki, noting that Americans had helped clear helicopter landing spaces for the arrival of future supplies. "It really speeds up the distribution of aid to [Sumatra's] west coast." (54)

On January 18th, the Indonesia Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said at a press conference:

"The U.S. Military [in Aceh] has been the backbone of the logistical operations providing assistance to all afflicted after the disaster. We'd like to pay tribute to the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen of the U.S. Forces deployed in Aceh throughout the relief effort." (55)

They quickly told the US that the C-130s only could land at night, so they would be out of sight. During one incident, Al Jazeera reporters even called Jakarta to complain that the sight of US aircraft landing looked bad for the Muslim world.
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Had not heard this, any links to it?