Hartono reorganizes Kopassus<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The long-awaited reorganization of the Army's
\nspecial force (Kopassus) began yesterday with the announcement
\nthat its size is being enlarged and its weaponry modernized.<\/p>\n
The force, which has an impressive record of putting down
\nrebellions and of countering insurgency and terrorism, is being
\nexpanded from four to five groups, one of which will focus on
\ncounter-terrorism, and its size expanded from 6,000 to 10,000
\ntroopers.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, its current commandant, is likely
\nto retain his job at the head of the force, with a new title:
\ncommandant-general. His new position is subject to confirmation
\nfrom President Soeharto, the supreme commander of the Armed
\nForces and Prabowo's father-in-law.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hartono, who led the announcement
\nceremony at Kopassus' Cijantung headquarters in East Jakarta
\nyesterday, declined to confirm Prabowo's promotion.<\/p>\n
But he did not quash the rumor either.<\/p>\n
"Looking at his performance, what do you think of the
\nprobability?" he asked back when reporters chased him for
\nconfirmation. "If you think he (Prabowo) deserves the post, then
\nI think so too," he said.<\/p>\n
"We are awaiting a presidential decree on who will lead
\nKopassus. We hope it will be issued soon," he added.<\/p>\n
So likely is Prabowo's new appointment that many people,
\nincluding Hartono in his speech, addressed him as the commandant-
\ngeneral during the ceremony yesterday.<\/p>\n
Prabowo, a 1974 graduate of the National Military Academy, is
\nexpected to be promoted soon given that the commandant-general is
\nreserved for a major general. Should that happen, this will be
\nhis second promotion in seven months.<\/p>\n
He was promoted to his current rank last December when he
\nassumed the Kopassus' leadership, becoming the first among his
\nClass of 1974 to reach the rank of general.<\/p>\n
The 44-year old Prabowo is highly regarded among his peers.
\nHe won plaudits for the way he personally handled the operation
\nto secure the release of a group of Indonesian and European
\nscientists kidnapped by Irian Jaya separatist rebels in January.<\/p>\n
The hostages were freed in May through the use of force after
\nattempts to negotiate their release failed. Two of the remaining
\n11 hostages were killed by the rebels during the rescue
\noperation.<\/p>\n
Prabowo, the son of Indonesia's economic guru Soemitro
\nDjojohadikusumo, also had success in dealing with separatist
\nrebels in East Timor.<\/p>\n
In an interview published by Kompas yesterday, Prabowo said
\nhis marriage to President Soeharto's daughter Siti Hedyati
\nHariyadi was neither an advantage nor a burden to his Army
\ncareer.<\/p>\n
In the newly reorganized Kopassus, the commandant-general will
\nbe assisted by a deputy of brigadier general rank. It is not
\nimmediately clear if the post will go to Col. Idris Gasing, the
\ndeputy of the old Kopassus organization.<\/p>\n
Before the reorganization the force was divided into three
\ngroups plus the Detachment '81, considered the most elite unit.
\nNow Kopassus consists of five groups: two for combat operations,
\none for education and training, one for intelligence operations,
\nand one for anti-terrorist operations.<\/p>\n
Combat I group, which is based in Serang, West Java, is headed
\nby Col. Syaiful Rizal; Combat II, based in Kartasuro, near
\nSurakarta Central Java, is headed by Col. Slamat Sidabutar; Group
\nIII dealing with education and training, based in Batu Jajar near
\nGarut in West Java, is headed by Col. Harry Pysand; Group IV for
\nintelligence operation is headed by Lt. Col. Ch. A. Irawan and
\nGroup V for anti-terrorist operation is commanded by Col.
\nZamroni. Both Group IV and V are based in Cijantung, East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Hartono did not give details of Kopassus' plans to upgrade its
\nweaponry.<\/p>\n
In the Kompas interview, Prabowo said the enlargement of
\nKopassus to 10,000 personnel was reasonable, not only because of
\nthe huge area that the force must cover, but also because of the
\nmultiple problems it has to deal with, including insurgences in
\nEast Timor, Irian Jaya and Aceh.<\/p>\n
He said Thailand, a country which is smaller in size than
\nIndonesia, also maintains a 10,000-strong special force.<\/p>\n
Present at the ceremony yesterday were Chief of Army's
\nEducation Center Maj. Gen. Hendropriyono, Jakarta Military Chief
\nMaj. Gen. Soetiyoso, West Java military chief Maj. Gen. Tayo
\nTarmadi, Central Java military chief Maj. Gen. Subagyo, East Java
\nmilitary chief Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo and Maj. Gen. A Rivai, chief
\nof the Udayana military command overseeing Bali, Nusa Tenggara
\nand East Timor. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hartono-reorganizes-kopassus-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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