I never gave the order to kill Gus Dur: Feisal

I never gave the order to kill Gus Dur: Feisal

JAKARTA (JP): Former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen.
(ret.) Feisal Tanjung on Monday vehemently denied being part of
an alleged plan to "eliminate" President Abdurrahman Wahid and
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"With all due respect to the president who is now abroad, I
personally never ordered it. Institutionally, the TNI never
ordered it," said Feisal, accompanied by former chief of TNI
general affairs Lt. Gen. Tarub, during a news conference here.

Feisal was responding to Abdurrahman's statement in Rome on
Sunday that back in 1997, Gen. Wiranto, then commander of the
Army Strategic Reserves Command, warned Abdurrahman that he had
been told by Feisal of orders to eliminate him.

According to Abdurrahman, when Wiranto verified the order,
former President Soeharto denied having any knowledge of it.

Abdurrahman's assertions on Sunday came as he was vouching for
Wiranto's credibility despite rumors of a showdown between the
two. The President has said that Wiranto should resign as
coordinating minister of political affairs and security following
allegations of his involvement in the violence in East Timor.

Appearing relaxed and smiling, Feisal claimed he had done no
such thing as he was close with Abdurrahman especially since they
had gone on haj together.

He also claimed to be close to Megawati's husband, Taufik
Kiemas.

Feisal said he contacted Wiranto after reading the President's
statement.

"Pak Wiranto said it wasn't true," Feisal said.

When asked point blank whether the President was lying, Feisal
diplomatically retorted: "I just said that it (the statement)
wasn't right. You (reporters) are the ones saying it."

Feisal said he was not considering any defamation suit in
reaction to the allegations.

He refused to comment when asked whether the move was aimed at
defaming TNI.

"I'm no longer a military officer. But I respect Gus Dur as a
legitimate president who has been democratically elected," he
said referring to the President by his popular name.

Feisal said he had asked Wiranto to join him in the news
conference, but the minister declined saying that he was already
too much in the news.

Tarub, accompanying Feisal, also pledged that no plan ever
existed. "I swear, we never conducted it," he said as he raised
his right hand.

Separately, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
vouched for Feisal.

"I was a minister at that time. I never heard about it," said
Akbar who was State Secretary during that period.

Just hours after Feisal's denial, Abdurrahman, arriving in
Brussels, fired a salvo at the retired general.

"I'm sticking to my version," he said. "I received this
information not only from Wiranto but also from other sources."

Abdurrahman then launched a stinging attack on Feisal which
seemed to accuse him of being behind the July 27, 1996, attack on
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters chaired by
Megawati.

"Pak Feisal can say what he wants, but everybody knows who
ordered the attack on the PDI headquarters," he told journalists.
(jun)