Kostrad troops trained for Afghan peacekeeping task
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) troops are being groomed for peacekeeping duties in the event they are needed in Afghanistan, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Thursday.
Endriartono said that members of the Indonesian peacekeeping force would all be drawn from the 305th Battalion of Kostrad.
"If the UN wishes us to take part, and if we have enough funding to finance the mission, we will extend our help," Endriartono told reporters during the closing of a Kostrad joint military exercise on Thursday.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri officially closed the exercise, which took place at Gunung Sentul near Sukabumi, West Java, 150 kilometers south of Jakarta. Scorpion tanks, Army pilots, armored cars and anti-aircraft weapons were all involved in the drill.
The government had earlier ruled out the possibility of sending a peacekeeping force to Afghanistan under a UN mandate, citing budget constraints. Indonesia, as the world's largest Muslim nation, has been tipped as a favorite for the international effort, along with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Indonesia has a long history of participation in international peacekeeping efforts dating back more than two decades, including missions in the Middle East, the Congo, Vietnam, and Bosnia- Herzegovina.
Later in the day, Kostrad commander Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu confirmed Endriartono's statement, saying that the 305th batallion was prepared for the Afghanistan trip.
Ryamizard said that, if his troops were not deemed as qualified for the mission, they could participate as a back-up force.
The batallion demonstrated their skills before President Megawati during the opening ceremony.
Ryamizard, a 1974 graduate of the Armed Forces Academy, led an Indonesian peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996.
Among the dignitaries attending the ceremony were Coordinating Minister of Politics and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo AS, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil, Forestry Minister Mohammad Prakosa and Chief of the National Intelligence Board (BIN) A.M Hendropriyono.
Also taking part in Thursday's exercise are troops from the 328th batallion, who are prepared to be dispatched to restive Aceh. The soldiers had undergone counterinsurgency training in Sanggabuana camp in Karawang, 50 kilometers east of Jakarta.
Ryamizard said that the joint exercise was aimed at improving the skills of the Army's strike force in the event of a conventional war or an attack by foreign troops.
The rare presence of Megawati to witness a Kostrad exercise drew speculation that she supports Ryamizard's promotion to the Army top post in place of Endriartono, who has been widely seen as the strongest candidate to fill the TNI chief's vacancy.
Rumors have it that Megawati will announce Ryamizard's promotion on Saturday.
One Kostrad officer, however, refused to link Megawati's presence with the impending change of guard in the Army.
"Megawati was fulfilling a promise she had made to the Kostrad chief to observe a Kostrad exercise when she was the vice president last year," he said.
In her speech atop a tank, Megawati -- while praising the soldiers for their performance and professionalism -- pledged to improve the welfare of TNI soldiers.