Bugging palace's telephone?

Bugging palace's telephone?

From Rakyat Merdeka

Is it true that the presidential palace, which is the symbol of the state's sovereignty, can easily be bugged?

As reported in a Jakarta-based media, the telephones in the house of coordinating minister of political and security affairs and the presidential palace have been bugged by an outside agent. If this is true, this means that our sovereignty has been trampled upon by foreign powers.

Meanwhile, Dr. A.C. Manullang, an intelligence officer, has declared that the bugging devices were installed by Israeli intelligence agents. It is not clear whether Manullang has any solid facts to back his statement.

Manullang's statement may prompt the hunting down of Israeli agents while in fact, anyone can bug telephones and anyone's phone can be bugged.

A few years ago, there was a sensational stir about an intercepted telephone conversation between former president B.J. Habibie and former attorney general A.M. Ghalib. A similar sensationalistic reaction has again come about in connection with the bugging of telephones by some foreign power in the presidential palace and in the house of the coordinating minister of political and security affairs.

In this context, what is important is that the so-called analysts must have accurate knowledge and solid facts about the subject of their public statements.

FASTIKA ARMAN

Bogor, West Java