Volcanic ash spewing from the mouth of Mount Merapi in central Java could force US President Barack Obama to cut short his trip to Indonesia, an official on Air Force One told reporters Tuesday.
"The modelling for the volcanic ash will likely necessitate that we leave Indonesia several hours earlier than the schedule had it laid out tomorrow," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
He said Obama, who has twice had to cancel trips to Indonesia due to domestic politics, still hoped to deliver a keynote speech scheduled to take place at the national university on Wednesday.
The president — who spent four years in Jakarta as a child — is due to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono later Tuesday for talks focusing on security and economic issues.
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