Counterterror ties strengthening with little publicity, envoy says
Counterterror ties strengthening with little publicity, envoy says
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Cooperation between Indonesia and the United States in the war
against terror is taking place behind the glare of media
publicity, and Washington appears to be quite satisfied with
Jakarta's response so far.
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce disclosed on Tuesday
that cooperation, from exchanging information to intelligence
gathering, has been taking place as the two countries work
together to fight against international terrorism.
"We are pleased with the cooperation that we have had to date
with Indonesia," Boyce told journalists at a briefing to discuss
this Friday's whirlwind visit by U.S. Secretary of State Collin
Powell.
Securing cooperation in the campaign against terror is one of
the chief missions of Powell's current tour of several Asian
capitals.
Boyce declined to go into details about what Indonesia's
contribution had been that seemed to have pleased Washington.
But he pointed out that President George W. Bush had
personally thanked President Megawati Soekarnoputri, during a
phone call last week, for Indonesia's cooperation in the war
against terror. The call was made on July 23, the first
anniversary of Megawati's presidency.
Indonesian officials have confirmed that the government has
handed over two men suspected of having links to Al Qaeda, the
group blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Details of the two men, however, remain sketchy except that both
are foreign nationals.
Boyce admitted that some of the successes in the cooperation
in the war against terror would not be made public. "The most
successful kinds of cooperation from here on will be much more
discreet," he said.
The war against terrorism has entered a phase which is murkier
and not as black and white as during the U.S. military campaign
in Afghanistan in October and November, he said.
Powell's heavy schedule on Friday will include meetings with
President Megawati, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda,
chief economics minister Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and his team,
chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his team,
and with leaders of Indonesia's major Islamic organizations.
His visit comes in the wake of a crucial decision by the
Senate Appropriations Committee to approve lifting the
restriction on funding professional military training for
Indonesian officers.
The decision, still to be endorsed by Congress, could pave the
way for the resumption of the International Military Education
Training (IMET) program to Indonesia which was terminated in 1992
to protest against Indonesia's policy in East Timor.
The ban was extended in 1999 to an embargo on the sales of all
military equipment to Indonesia, but later it was scaled down to
include only sales of lethal weapons.
In the initial phase, the Senate committee seeks to approve a
$400,000 IMET program for Indonesia.
While military-to-military cooperation will feature
prominently in Powell's talks, Boyce ruled out any discussion on
lifting the embargo of lethal weapon sales, saying that any move
towards that would hinge on the Indonesian Military's ability to
account for some of its past human rights abuses.
He specifically referred to the ongoing trial of military
officers who were responsible for the security of East Timor when
violence broke out in 1999 in the wake of the UN-sponsored ballot
that gave victory to the pro-independence camp.
Boyce said the U.S. always placed importance on military-to-
military cooperation with other countries, including Indonesia,
but it would continue to insist on the military being made
accountable for all its deeds.