Indonesia cancels F-16 purchase from U.S.

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