U.S. to train Indonesian police<\/p>\n
HONG KONG: U.S. security experts are training, funding and
\narming a crack squad of specially screened Indonesian police to
\nlead the country's fight against terrorism, a report seen here
\nWednesday said.<\/p>\n
When operational by 2005, the team of 400 officers, called
\nDetachment 88, will be able to respond to everything from bomb
\nscares to hostage crises to armed assaults, the Far Eastern
\nEconomic Review reports in its Nov. 13 edition out Thursday.<\/p>\n
Already three 10-man police investigation teams, three eight-
\nman tactical response units and three five-man bomb squads have
\ngraduated from the US State Department-run program, the report
\nsays.<\/p>\n
"The U.S. expects that the new force ... will significantly
\nstrengthen the police's ability to shoulder most of the burden in
\nthe war against terrorism in Indonesia," the report says.<\/p>\n
Citing Washington officials, it says US$16 million has already
\nbeen spent on equipping the program with "state-of-the-art
\ncommunications equipment, night-vision gear, technical support
\nand weaponry, including Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns and
\nRemington 700 sniper rifles".<\/p>\n
Helicopters and C130 troop-transport planes could also be on
\nthe supply list, it said, quoting a senior U.S. official.<\/p>\n
As well as training by the State Department's diplomatic
\nsecurity service, the program has also received input from
\nretired FBI, CIA and Secret Service agents.<\/p>\n
The program is hoped to build on Indonesian police successes
\nin capturing suspects in the 2002 Bali bombs and the August
\nJakarta Marriott Hotel bomb.<\/p>\n
In a move aimed as much at keeping its own image clean,
\nWashington is concentrating on training police officers and not
\nsoldiers as Congress views Indonesia's military as tainted by a
\n1991 mayhem in East Timor, the report adds.<\/p>\n
As a result, recruits will be vetted for clean human rights
\nrecords and to prevent officers who served in the East Timor
\ncampaign from signing up.<\/p>\n
The article, however, quotes Western military expert warnings
\nthat Detachment 88 may not be as effective as hoped.<\/p>\n
"They really aren't yet capable of doing high-level tasks," it
\nquotes one as saying, adding experts believe it will be years
\nbefore the squad can match the antiterror skills of the
\nmilitary's 4,500-strong special forces.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-to-train-indonesian-police-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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