Aceh prepare for Bush, Clinton visit<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) members are to join hundreds of
\nIndonesian military personnel to secure the arrival of two former
\nU.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, the current
\npresident's father, in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Commander of Aceh and North Sumatra disaster prevention
\noperation unit, Col. Sudipo Handoyo, said security was beefed up
\nat the points where the two former presidents are making their
\nvisits, with priority given to Polonia Airport in Medan and
\nSultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Aceh.<\/p>\n
"Around 300 air force personnel will be deployed at Polonia
\nAirport with an addition of a platoon comprising army, marine and
\npolice personnel to secure the arrival of the two former U.S.
\npresidents," Sudipo told The Jakarta Post on Saturday after
\noverseeing preparations at Medan airport.<\/p>\n
The same number of security personnel would also be deployed
\nin Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport. "All the personnel will be
\nequipped with live bullets," he said.<\/p>\n
The places to be visited by the two former presidents,
\nincluding the airports, were also carefully inspected by the CIA.<\/p>\n
Sudipo said the CIA had inspected security arrangements at the
\nsites twice in the last three days, and the last inspection would
\nbe conducted six hours before the state guests' arrival.<\/p>\n
"Until now the security situation is good. We hope everything
\nruns smoothly," he said, adding that the CIA has also requested
\nto place a helicopter in Polonia.<\/p>\n
He has no official figures on the number of CIA personnel
\ninvolved in the two former presidents visit, but estimated there
\nwere around 50, excluding those who will come along with the two
\nformer presidents.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, Clinton and Bush will arrive in Polonia at 9
\na.m. where they are scheduled to meet President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono for an hour.<\/p>\n
Clinton was appointed as the United Nations' special envoy for
\ntsunami relief this month and is currently raising money for
\ntsunami victims after President George W. Bush chose him and
\nformer president George Bush to head a non-governmental fund-
\nraising effort in the U.S.<\/p>\n
After the meeting with President Susilo, the guests will fly
\nto Aceh while the President will return to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
President Susilo visited Aceh on Saturday to inspect the
\nprogress after the tsunami struck the region on Dec. 26 last
\nyear. In the visit, he underlined that emergency measures should
\nend by March 26.<\/p>\n
The President arrived in Medan on Saturday afternoon to
\nwelcome the arrival of the state guests on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Deputy press attache of the U.S. Embassy, Timothy Gerhardson,
\ndeclined to give further details related on the two former U.S.
\npresidents' visit to Aceh.<\/p>\n
Earlier, secretary of relief aid coordination in Medan, Edy
\nAman Saragih, said that according to a fax message from the
\nembassy, the two former presidents would be in Aceh for three
\nhours. No further details on the places they will visit in Aceh
\nwere available. After visiting Aceh, the two former presidents
\nand their group will depart for Sri Lanka.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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