Indonesia cancels F-16 purchase from U.S.

JAKARTA (JP): The government said yesterday it was canceling the purchase of nine United States F-16 jetfighters and declining participation in the American-run International Military Education Training program (IMET) in response to growing Congressional criticism.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said President Soeharto had sent a letter dated May 26 to notify U.S. President Bill Clinton of the cancellation. The letter was delivered to Washington Monday.

"In a letter dated 26 May 1997, President Soeharto conveyed the decision to President Clinton and cited 'wholly unjustified criticisms in the United States Congress against Indonesia which are linked to its participation in the IMET program and the planned purchase of the F-16 planes' as one of the factors that led to this decision," Alatas said.

The decision was aimed at removing any stumbling block which could impede better ties between Jakarta and Washington, or could cause difficulty to the Clinton administration, the minister said.

He then cited Soeharto as saying in the letter that with the linkage removed between criticism against Indonesia and its participation in IMET and purchase of F-16 planes, ties could progress to a new level of cooperation "based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and noninterference in each other's affairs."

The U.S. Congress has recently intensified its criticism of Indonesia. Several congressmen have urged Clinton to cancel the planned sale of the F-16 jetfighters in a move aimed at censuring Jakarta for its human rights record.

The F-16s were originally bound for Pakistan, but also canceled due to suspicions that Islamabad was developing nuclear weapons. In 1995 the jetfighters were offered to Indonesia.

Washington needs to sell the planes to reportedly refund Pakistan's advance payment of US$658 million.

Indonesia has one squadron of 10 F-16s.

The $600,000 IMET program involves professional training for senior foreign military officers. It was recommenced to Indonesia in 1995 after a three-year suspension caused by the infamous 1991 Dili incident in East Timor.

Alatas insisted that the decision to forgo the purchase of the F-16s and participation in IMET was taken so the Clinton administration would not be burdened with difficulties which could hamper expanding relations.

"What we are saying is actually: please we don't want to cause you difficulties, we don't want those planes. We didn't want those planes in the first place, they were offered to us!" Alatas said.

"You (the Congress) don't think we should participate in the IMET? We don't need to be in the IMET ... it's not that important," he added.

Alatas did not identify the Congressmen or Senators who had propagated the criticism but did blurt out Patrick Kennedy's name. Congressmen Kennedy drafted the Indonesia Military Assistance Accountability Act aimed at stalling aid to Indonesia.

Indonesia's rejection of foreign aid is not unprecedented.

In 1992 it rejected Dutch aid when The Hague was perceived to be interfering in Indonesia's internal affairs.

However Alatas stressed that yesterday's decision was not comparable to that of 1992.

"The similarity is in only one respect, and that is the consistency that when there are difficulties between two friends we always try to remove these difficulties," he said.

A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Jakarta said "we regret the decision" but said that it was up to Indonesia to determine its own defense requirements.

"The U.S. and Indonesia have cooperated closely on a broad range of global issues in the past and we look forward to working closely with Indonesia in this area in the future," the spokesperson said.

When asked, Alatas also denied the decision was prompted by the U.S. State Department's severe criticism of the Indonesian elections last week. (mds)

Editorial -- Page 4