Adm. M Lutfie to lead Bais

JAKARTA: The leadership of the Indonesian Military's (TNI) Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais) will be handed over from Vice Marshall Ian Santoso Perdanakusuma to Rear Adm. M. Lutfie in a ceremony slated to be held on Friday, a report said.

Ian, a 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, has reached retirement age, while Lutfie was the intelligence assistant to the TNI chief of general affairs before being promoted to his new posting.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said Cilangkap had also decided to promote Brig. Gen. Bambang Darmono, the Aceh Military Operation commander, to the rank of two-star general.

TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto is expected to install Bambang as a major general in a military ceremony in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, on Monday.

Regarding the post of Central Java's Diponegoro military commander, which has been vacant since the death of Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini due to cancer last month, Sjafrie said TNI headquarters had yet to appoint a replacement. He declined to specify the reason for the delay, saying only: "Just be patient." --JP