Intelligence system to be revamped
Intelligence system to be revamped
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono confirmed on Thursday
the government's plan to revamp the national intelligence system.
"So far, we have two options. We are also thinking of a
possible third option," Susilo told reporters after a limited
Cabinet meeting at Bina Graha presidential office here on
Thursday, presided over by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
He said the first alternative was to put the intelligence
agency under the defense ministry's supervision, while the second
was to set up a special section at the ministry that would be
responsible for analyzing all data supplied by the Indonesian
Military's Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS).
Earlier on Wednesday, the minister said the State Intelligence
Coordinating Board (Bakin) would also be reorganized and renamed
the State Intelligence Agency (BIN). He said the move would give
BIN greater authority rather than performing merely as a
coordinative body.
"The new intelligence system is expected to provide accurate
information to the government so that the presidential office can
take correct steps and anticipatory actions in facing any
problems in the future," he said.
Susilo said revamping the national intelligence system would
not raise problems because the matter had been discussed with
Bakin, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police
Headquarters.
"The most important thing is how to reorganize coordination
between Bakin and BAIS and that between Bakin and the
presidential office and the vice presidential office," he said.
He denied speculation that Bakin and Bais had been proven
ineffective.
"The matter is that the government wants to improve national
intelligence capacity," he said.
Earlier, Minister of Defense Mahfud MD said the national
intelligence agency would be revamped because it had been found
ineffective.
"The government cannot expect too much from Bakin because it
only coordinates all intelligence agencies, while BAIS supplies
intelligence data for military purposes," he said in a hearing
with House of Representatives Commission I for defense, security
and foreign affairs here on Wednesday.
The reorganization of the national intelligence system has
gained support from the commission on grounds that it is expected
to prevent the President receiving only misleading information
from his "unreliable private detectives".
Mahfud confirmed that the planned reorganization had gained
support from both President Abdurrahman Wahid and Bakin.
"Even State Minister of Administrative Reforms Ryaas Rasyid
has given his support and suggested the defense ministry set up a
new director general on intelligence affairs, instead of a
defense intelligence agency, to make it operational," he said,
citing that the final decision would be decided in a meeting of
related authorities on Oct. 24.
The minister also requested the House increase the defense
budget.
"To get accurate information, the national intelligence agency
should ideally be given an unlimited budget," he said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. (ret) Hasnan Habib, former chief of the
Indonesian Military's then sociopolitical affairs department,
said the government should remain cautious in establishing the
new intelligence agency that it would not create trouble in its
field operations.
"The new intelligence agency's mission and its authority
should be described in detail, whether intelligence analysis is
held at the state level, the regional level, or others. The
government should not establish the intelligence agency hastily
to avoid trouble in its missions," he said here on Thursday.
Hasnan, also former ambassador to the United States, said he
disagreed if the new intelligence agency was established to take
over Bakin's function.
Political observer Samsu Rizal Panggabean criticized the plan
to put the new intelligence body under the defense ministry,
saying that the move would be costly and would complicate
coordination between the new intelligence body and existing
bodies.
Rizal, who is also a researcher at the Center for Peace and
Security Studies at Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, said
that instead of forming a new agency, the government should
reform the existing intelligence bodies which were used by the
Soeharto regime for its political interests.
He said the government should reorganize the existing
intelligence bodies, among other things, by assigning civilians
to chair the two intelligence bodies.
"In this context, putting intelligence bodies under the
Ministry of Defense is the right move. But don't create a new
one," he said.
Rizal also suggested a reorientation of the intelligence's
tasks.
"Military intelligence should be aimed at gathering
information on possible threats from foreign countries, while
police intelligence should be aimed at gathering information on
criminal matters," he added.
Rizal said that besides intensively reporting their activities
to the President, military and police intelligence bodies should
regularly report their activities to the House of Representatives
(DPR). (44/edt/rms)