Aceh prepare for Bush, Clinton visit

Aceh prepare for Bush, Clinton visit

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) members are to join hundreds of
Indonesian military personnel to secure the arrival of two former
U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, the current
president's father, in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam on Sunday.

Commander of Aceh and North Sumatra disaster prevention
operation unit, Col. Sudipo Handoyo, said security was beefed up
at the points where the two former presidents are making their
visits, with priority given to Polonia Airport in Medan and
Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Aceh.

"Around 300 air force personnel will be deployed at Polonia
Airport with an addition of a platoon comprising army, marine and
police personnel to secure the arrival of the two former U.S.
presidents," Sudipo told The Jakarta Post on Saturday after
overseeing preparations at Medan airport.

The same number of security personnel would also be deployed
in Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport. "All the personnel will be
equipped with live bullets," he said.

The places to be visited by the two former presidents,
including the airports, were also carefully inspected by the CIA.

Sudipo said the CIA had inspected security arrangements at the
sites twice in the last three days, and the last inspection would
be conducted six hours before the state guests' arrival.

"Until now the security situation is good. We hope everything
runs smoothly," he said, adding that the CIA has also requested
to place a helicopter in Polonia.

He has no official figures on the number of CIA personnel
involved in the two former presidents visit, but estimated there
were around 50, excluding those who will come along with the two
former presidents.

Under the plan, Clinton and Bush will arrive in Polonia at 9
a.m. where they are scheduled to meet President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono for an hour.

Clinton was appointed as the United Nations' special envoy for
tsunami relief this month and is currently raising money for
tsunami victims after President George W. Bush chose him and
former president George Bush to head a non-governmental fund-
raising effort in the U.S.

After the meeting with President Susilo, the guests will fly
to Aceh while the President will return to Jakarta.

President Susilo visited Aceh on Saturday to inspect the
progress after the tsunami struck the region on Dec. 26 last
year. In the visit, he underlined that emergency measures should
end by March 26.

The President arrived in Medan on Saturday afternoon to
welcome the arrival of the state guests on Sunday.

Deputy press attache of the U.S. Embassy, Timothy Gerhardson,
declined to give further details related on the two former U.S.
presidents' visit to Aceh.

Earlier, secretary of relief aid coordination in Medan, Edy
Aman Saragih, said that according to a fax message from the
embassy, the two former presidents would be in Aceh for three
hours. No further details on the places they will visit in Aceh
were available. After visiting Aceh, the two former presidents
and their group will depart for Sri Lanka.