PUTTING AN EDGE ON THE WAR ON TERROR

The 20th Cobra Gold war games beginning in one month will be the biggest
anti-terrorist military exercise ever held in this region. More than 7,700
Thai and 13,200 American forces will participate, along with 70 military
specialists from Singapore. Fourteen countries are sending observers, 11
for the first time ever _ including Vietnam and China. It is a major
watershed for Cobra Gold. Once suspected as a threat, the annual exercise
has become the largest and most important regional test in a world that
requires military readiness in a variety of fields.

Last year, Cobra Gold focused on international peacekeeping. Thailand was a
newcomer to the difficult role of keeping civilians safe in the violent
cauldron of East Timor. The exercise drew only a few observers and little
public attention. Its success was tested just last Sunday, when
enthusiastic East Timor citizens went to the polls in a free and fair
election for a new president. Credit Cobra Gold with providing a real-life
simulation of the rigours of peacekeeping. Thai troops have been praised
for effective work, under a UN-supervised peace force that is commanded by
a Thai officer.

This year's Cobra Gold has drawn far more attention. The 20,000 troops and
hundreds of observers come from 17 nations. All, from the generals down to
the privates in the trenches, are aware of the reason for the exercise. The
civilised world is engaged in a deadly struggle to identify and destroy
terrorists who have killed thousands of innocent people from more than 100
countries. The attacks on New York last September 11 killed Thais as well
as people from many other countries.

The troops in Cobra Gold will participate in a series of war games,
simulating terrorist threats and attacks. The ``terrorists'' will use
traditional, nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. ``Friendly forces''
will respond in a wide variety of ways.

Intelligence officers will try to discover the attacks before they occur,
special forces will respond to specific threats such as kidnappings or
assassinations, and major assaults will attack large terrorist forces.

The military forces involved and their civilian masters all will learn
valuable tactical and strategic lessons.

Cobra Gold has been unfailingly valuable, and the 2002 exercises could be
the most useful ever. One of the main successes could be stimulating
interest in the anti-terrorist war. Behind the scenes, much is being done.

But the new world sprung by the September 11 hijackers requires a lot more.
The 22-nation, anti-terrorist seminar this week in Bangkok will focus on
immigration and terrorist threats to tourism, specifically the World Cup.

Last week, the Communications Authority of Thailand helped to set up
Arcstar Partners, a 12-country, East Asian endeavour led by Japanese
telecoms company Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. Arcstar is sort of a Cobra
Gold of telecommunications.

It is simulating terrorist attacks, and planning how to respond. The
opening exercise took place last week in Tokyo, using lessons learned after
the World Trade Center disaster.

Less impressive is the Thai response to another threat exposed last week.
Two Afghan scientists revealed that they hid the country's stock of Cobalt
60 during the entire Taliban occupation. At least twice, known terrorist
groups friendly to the Taliban tried to find the Cobalt 60. The scientists
believe they wanted to put the isotopes in a conventional bomb, and let the
``dirty fallout'' do its work.

Thailand has done little to secure its supply of Cobalt 60 despite the
graphic results of a tragic accident with a single, small container of the
atomic agent.

One can hope that exercises like Cobra Gold and planning like the telecoms
industry will result in better preparedness. No country, including
Thailand, is free of terrorists or safe from terrorism. By hosting Cobra
Gold, Thailand helps others to plan a coherent response to terrorism around
the world. By remaining alert, Thailand can reduce the terrorist threat.