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by Arjuna Ranawana

Whizzing through East Asia, United States President George W Bush encountered friendly governments and general happiness that he had turned up and pledged support in the war on terrorism.

In fact Bush's message on terror synched so neatly with the region's concerns with extremism to the point that even the Asia Pacific Economic Forum (APEC), which met in Bangkok this week, went from being a less-than-effective trade talk-shop to vow to eradicate "transnational terrorism."

Washington's focus after APEC was on its old and trusted allies in East Asia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

All need help from the US in combating terrorist networks that threaten the region's stability, and Bush had the opportunity to visit each of these states.

Thailand has become an important staging base for Al Qaeda operatives as was illustrated by the arrest of "Hambali" the head of Jemaah Islamiya, the global terror network's East Asian arm in Ayuththaya in August. JI is believed responsible for the horrific Bali bombing as well as the attack on the Marriot Hotel in Jakarta, both, which targeted Western tourists.

Singapore has not been targeted directly, but its trading and service-based prosperity is derived from stability and economic growth in the region, so is keen that security is considered important.

But the question as to whether the backing of force should be everything, is being asked.

Back home, Bush is facing a drop in support, even from his own Republican Party faithful, because of his hardheaded push in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Washington Post reported this week, Bush's "approval ratings have fallen sharply since April, the nation's job growth remains sluggish and large numbers of Americans feel the nation is putting too much money - and not enough wise planning - into Iraq."

"Although many Republicans are optimistic that Bush will win reelection next year, all non-retiring House members (and a third of senators) have their own 2004 reelection campaigns to worry about. Some GOP incumbents - especially those in the several dozen House districts that Democrat Al Gore carried or nearly won in 2000 - are showing an increasing willingness to vote against key White House initiatives and to reassure constituents that they think and act independently of the president" the report added.

At the core is a Bush proposal to spend $87 billion in securing and rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq.

Now, $87 billion is a lot of money - even for the Americans.

From a Sri Lankan perspective the cash is enough to build nearly one thousand Victoria Dams at today's prices.

In the US all the candidates vying to become Bush's Democratic Party opponents in the Presidential elections have latched on to the figure with glee. They point to job losses in the US, calls for better policing back home, new highways that have to be built and social needs to be met and ask whether all this money should be spent overseas and whether the US to carry the burden of Iraq and Afghanistan more-or-less on its own.

The cornerstone of Bill Clinton's remarkable success as a president was his ability to manage the economy and be nimble politically, even borrowing ideas from his opponents when it became necessary. Many US commentators have seen some of these qualities in Bush as well, but there appears to a consensus that on matters of terrorism and Iraq/Afghanistan the president would be uncompromising.

But would that be enough. From behind the scenes there was some concern expressed by all the actors in the region that economic matters also be paid attention, although at APEC the summiteers emphasized, "security is the most serious concern of all business." Voices such as that of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed who called for more equitable trade regimes, were drowned out at least in public by the security concerns.

The reality is that East Asia and much of the world is driven by growth in the US economy.

If the US is to concentrate entirely on battling terror worldwide in a manner that that would push back the economic gains it has made in the past few months, then the recovery made in the ASEAN region will grind to a halt.

Another economic crisis will put more pressure on incumbent governments and that could lead to the political instability that Al Qaeda and its ilk would love to have as a rich loan to sow their seeds of terror.

It is not known whether in one-to-one meetings Prime Ministers Goh Chok Tong, Thaksin Shinawatra and President Megawati Sukaranoputri whispered to Bush "balance your efforts between security and the economy."

But they should have, as business or trade is also a major concern as security.

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