Kopassus not involved in Timika ambush: Pastika

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Former Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika confirmed that the August 2002 ambush of a convoy of Freeport McMoran's employees did not involve any member of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), a legislator said on Monday.

Deputy chairman of House Commission I for political and security affairs Amris Hassan told a press meeting here the Papuan Police had not implicated Kopassus personnel in connection with the attack, which left two United States citizens and one Indonesian dead.

"Pak Pastika underlined the investigation into the incident was still under way when he left Papua to lead the Bali bombings inquiry team," Amris said after a meeting between 13 House commission I members with Pastika at the latter's office.

Pastika is the current Bali Police chief following his success in leading the police team to investigate the masterminds of the Bali blasts last year.

The ambush took place on Aug. 13, 2002, at the road connecting Timika and Tembagapura in Papua, when a group of armed men opened fire on a convoy of vehicles belonging to the U.S. mining company. U.S. citizens Ted Burcon and Rickey Spear, and an Indonesian national, FX Bambang Riwanto, were killed, while 12 others were wounded in the attack.

Amris said Pastika's statement would be used to clarify the incident with the U.S. government, and to prevent any possible rift between the police and the Army regarding the incident.

"We will not object if the U.S. wants to send a special team to investigate the incident. We are open and have nothing to hide," Hassan stressed.

"The allegation (of Kopassus involvement) is not true; therefore, it should not in any way support nor be used to put a strain on the relationship between the two institutions," he added.

The U.S. government has twice sent FBI agents to Papua to conduct their own investigation into the ambush. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have moved to block Washington's military assistant to Jakarta due to the incident.

"On several occasions President (George W.) Bush has stated that the U.S. government had received information on the involvement of the Army soldiers in the ambush. I dont know whether it came from the FBI or from our own source," Amris said.

Separately, Amris' colleague Mashadi said Commission I had planned a special meeting to discuss the incident.

"This is a very serious matter ... the government should solve this case quickly and resolutely so that the U.S. will have no further opportunity to level harmful allegations at us," he said.