Army Chief: Security comes before politics and economy

Army Chief: Security comes before politics and economy

BANDUNG (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto
asserted here on Monday that the Army is committed to solving
security matters but asked other parties to seek the root of the
problems plaguing the nation.

Endriartono deemed security fears over the past year were the
result of political and economic problems.

"In order to solve the security problem, we have to cope with
the political and economy matters first. I urged the political
elite to stop bickering among themselves," Endriartono said on
the sideline of a ceremony which marked the start of an Army
training program at the Infantry Training Center in Cipatat
district.

Endriartono was responding to a statement by President
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, who said his government was
expecting security concerns to mount in 2001.

Gus Dur described four groups wishing to topple him, namely
those afraid to lose power, those trying to evade trial, those
linked to the past regime, and Muslim hard-liners.

The Army, Endriartono said, was prepared to defuse the
security threats because it did not want a repeat of the May 1998
riots.

Riots, arson attacks and looting swept the capital and its
neighboring towns then, precipitating the resignation of long-
time ruler Soeharto.

Endriartono said the Army would be able to shoulder the
challenge although there were allegations that some of its
members were involved in the Christmas eve bombings.

"I cannot deny it (the involvement) because a military officer
is just a human who could be persuaded to get involved," he said.

He promised to uphold the law and strengthen military
discipline, instead of protecting Army personnel who have been
proven to be involved in the bombings which killed 19 people.

Endriartono also admitted that there was a splinter group in
the Indonesian Military (TNI) who is keeping up the pressure on
the government through the groups identified by the President as
the menaces to his administration.

Endriartono also expressed his concern over the continuing
separatist movement in Aceh and Irian Jaya, accusing the rebels
of seeking their own interests above the nation's.

"During this multidimensional crises, we should support each
other. But there are some people who have the heart to take
advantage of the crisis, regardless of the possibility that their
actions might destroy this nation," Endriartono said.

Meanwhile, the United States Embassy denied reports which
linked the country's intelligence agency CIA to four allegedly
Afghanistan-trained Indonesians accused of assembling bombs that
exploded on the Christmas eve.

"This (the report) is not true, since the U.S. did not provide
training in Afghanistan...If this unconfirmed report is allowed
to stand, it could be dangerous and harmful to U.S.-Indonesian
relations," a spokesperson for the embassy said in a statement.

The spokesperson added the U.S. had never conducted training
in Afghanistan, but Pakistan.

"The U.S. trained people to become soldiers. The U.S. did not
provide training in making car bombs." (02)