| Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda has said he welcomes the presence of foreign troops in the country helping tsunami relief efforts. "You can rest assured that we welcome even foreign troops. Their presence is based on our request," Hassan said on Thursday, speaking at a press conference with his German counterpart Joschka Fischer in Berlin. Indonesia's Vice-President Jusuf Kalla called on Wednesday for foreign troops helping with relief efforts to leave the stricken area of Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra island, by the end of March. Since then, Indonesian officials have sought to retract Kalla's statement and US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday that no deadline had been set. Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and the US all have forces aiding the relief efforts in Aceh on Sumatra island's northern tip. |