Hartono reorganizes Kopassus

JAKARTA (JP): The long-awaited reorganization of the Army's special force (Kopassus) began yesterday with the announcement that its size is being enlarged and its weaponry modernized.

The force, which has an impressive record of putting down rebellions and of countering insurgency and terrorism, is being expanded from four to five groups, one of which will focus on counter-terrorism, and its size expanded from 6,000 to 10,000 troopers.

Brig. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, its current commandant, is likely to retain his job at the head of the force, with a new title: commandant-general. His new position is subject to confirmation from President Soeharto, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and Prabowo's father-in-law.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hartono, who led the announcement ceremony at Kopassus' Cijantung headquarters in East Jakarta yesterday, declined to confirm Prabowo's promotion.

But he did not quash the rumor either.

"Looking at his performance, what do you think of the probability?" he asked back when reporters chased him for confirmation. "If you think he (Prabowo) deserves the post, then I think so too," he said.

"We are awaiting a presidential decree on who will lead Kopassus. We hope it will be issued soon," he added.

So likely is Prabowo's new appointment that many people, including Hartono in his speech, addressed him as the commandant- general during the ceremony yesterday.

Prabowo, a 1974 graduate of the National Military Academy, is expected to be promoted soon given that the commandant-general is reserved for a major general. Should that happen, this will be his second promotion in seven months.

He was promoted to his current rank last December when he assumed the Kopassus' leadership, becoming the first among his Class of 1974 to reach the rank of general.

The 44-year old Prabowo is highly regarded among his peers. He won plaudits for the way he personally handled the operation to secure the release of a group of Indonesian and European scientists kidnapped by Irian Jaya separatist rebels in January.

The hostages were freed in May through the use of force after attempts to negotiate their release failed. Two of the remaining 11 hostages were killed by the rebels during the rescue operation.

Prabowo, the son of Indonesia's economic guru Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, also had success in dealing with separatist rebels in East Timor.

In an interview published by Kompas yesterday, Prabowo said his marriage to President Soeharto's daughter Siti Hedyati Hariyadi was neither an advantage nor a burden to his Army career.

In the newly reorganized Kopassus, the commandant-general will be assisted by a deputy of brigadier general rank. It is not immediately clear if the post will go to Col. Idris Gasing, the deputy of the old Kopassus organization.

Before the reorganization the force was divided into three groups plus the Detachment '81, considered the most elite unit. Now Kopassus consists of five groups: two for combat operations, one for education and training, one for intelligence operations, and one for anti-terrorist operations.

Combat I group, which is based in Serang, West Java, is headed by Col. Syaiful Rizal; Combat II, based in Kartasuro, near Surakarta Central Java, is headed by Col. Slamat Sidabutar; Group III dealing with education and training, based in Batu Jajar near Garut in West Java, is headed by Col. Harry Pysand; Group IV for intelligence operation is headed by Lt. Col. Ch. A. Irawan and Group V for anti-terrorist operation is commanded by Col. Zamroni. Both Group IV and V are based in Cijantung, East Jakarta.

Hartono did not give details of Kopassus' plans to upgrade its weaponry.

In the Kompas interview, Prabowo said the enlargement of Kopassus to 10,000 personnel was reasonable, not only because of the huge area that the force must cover, but also because of the multiple problems it has to deal with, including insurgences in East Timor, Irian Jaya and Aceh.

He said Thailand, a country which is smaller in size than Indonesia, also maintains a 10,000-strong special force.

Present at the ceremony yesterday were Chief of Army's Education Center Maj. Gen. Hendropriyono, Jakarta Military Chief Maj. Gen. Soetiyoso, West Java military chief Maj. Gen. Tayo Tarmadi, Central Java military chief Maj. Gen. Subagyo, East Java military chief Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo and Maj. Gen. A Rivai, chief of the Udayana military command overseeing Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Timor. (rms)