Prabowo installed chief of Staff and Command School<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, one of Indonesia's
\nprominent generals, was installed yesterday as chief of the Armed
\nForces Staff and Command School -- his first noncombatant post
\nafter a long series of high-profile active duties.<\/p>\n
Prabowo replaced Lt. Gen. Arie J. Kumaat in a simple ceremony
\nat the Armed Forces (ABRI)'s Cilangkap headquarters in East
\nJakarta, presided over by Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto.<\/p>\n
The ceremony, which was to be closed to journalists, ended
\nspeculation that the former chief of the Army Strategic Reserves
\nCommand (Kostrad) had rejected the post assigned to him by
\nWiranto, who is also the minister of defense.<\/p>\n
\"(Reports) that I rejected my appointment to the staff and
\ncommand school were made up. As a soldier, I have always been
\nready to perform all duties ABRI leaders have ordered,\" he told
\nreporters after receiving the school's command baton from Arie.<\/p>\n
Prabowo, the son of senior economist Soemitro
\nDjojohadikoesoemo and son-in-law of former president Soeharto,
\nalso dispelled rumors that he had gone into hiding shortly after
\nthe announcement that his position at Kostrad had been given to
\nMaj. Gen. Johny Lumintang.<\/p>\n
The latter held the post for only 18 hours before he too was
\nreplaced, this time by Maj. Gen. Djamari Chaniago. Lumintang's
\nbrief stint as the \"caretaker\" of Kostrad, which followed days of
\npolitical uncertainty before Soeharto's resignation, was effected
\nwithout prior announcement.<\/p>\n
Prabowo also denied that some 200 troops of the elite Army's
\nspecial force (Kopassus) had deserted and formed a wild unit
\nunder him. Prabowo was chief of Kopassus until March 20, 1998.<\/p>\n
Rumors had it that the 200 troops were mobilized by Prabowo
\nfrom their headquarters in Serang, West Java, to enter the
\ncapital and take control of the city. They were said to have been
\ntransported in five military trucks, and had gone missing along
\nwith Prabowo.<\/p>\n
There were also unconfirmed reports that Prabowo had been
\ninvolved in a plan to kidnap President B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"How could you believe such a fantasy? How could I have
\ndisappeared, I'm now here with you,\" he said, laughing.<\/p>\n
\"Those troops that you said were missing over the last few
\ndays, they might have just gone to Fantasy World,\" he joked, in
\nreference to the recreation center at Ancol Dreamland in North
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Silly<\/p>\n
Some people have questioned the locale for the transfer of
\nduty, as the post of staff and command school chief was
\ntraditionally handed over in ceremonies in Bandung, West Java.<\/p>\n
\"A transfer of duty ceremony can be held anywhere in
\nIndonesia,\" Wiranto told reporters. \"You shouldn't ask such silly
\nquestions.\"<\/p>\n
Wiranto dismissed speculation that a contest of political
\ninterests in the Armed Forces was behind the rapid succession of
\ntransfers of duties, or that he had his own political motives for
\nPrabowo's transfer.<\/p>\n
Until Wednesday evening, there was no official statement on
\nthe site of the ceremony. The only statement indicating that it
\nwould be held in Cilangkap came from the outgoing chief, Arie J.
\nKumaat, after he was interviewed by Antara late Wednesday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Present at the ceremony yesterday were secretary-general of
\nthe defense ministry Lt. Gen. Soeyono, Armed Forces Chief of
\nGeneral Affairs Lt. Gen. Fachrul Razi, Armed Forces Chief of
\nSociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
\nArmed Forces Inspector-General Vice Admiral Soeratmin.<\/p>\n
Also present were Chief of the Armed Forces' Intelligence
\nAgency (BIA) Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim and Chief of the
\nNational Military Police Maj. Gen. Syamsu Djalal. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prabowo-installed-chief-of-staff-and-command-school-1447893297",
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