Canada to send WMD response aid to Indonesia
The two governments have a history of CBRN cooperation; C$250,000 will be used to fit out a special army unit
An emerging market for readers interested in Asia. The Indonesian government is taking some tentative steps forward in self-conscious effort to improve its WMD recovery response abilities. The government announced that Canada had agreed to give the country 2 billion rupiah (C$250,000) in counter-chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) response equipment. The technical agreement is the latest sign of coooperation between the two countries, which have jointly sponsored four CBRN trainings for Indonesian emergency responders. “This is because biological and chemical materials in the country can easily be made available. We have a lot of chemical factories and enough bio-diversities that could be utilized to produce weapons,” said Indonesian anti-terror chief Ansyaad Mboi. Still, the deal also reflected what local authorities agree is a serious concern. “Most of the equipment is still imported, such as masks, gloves and other items of equipment needed for detection, protection and decontamination of weapons of mass destruction,” said army engineer Eddy Oswantoro on Monday.
