Minister summons U.S. envoy over Hornet intrusion

Minister summons U.S. envoy over Hornet intrusion

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government summoned U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L.
Boyce on Thursday to clarify the allegedly unauthorized intrusion
of five American jet fighters into the country's airspace.

Speaking after meeting with Boyce, Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said
Indonesia officially lodged its "deep concern" that the U.S. navy
F-18 Hornets might have violated the country's airspace.

Susilo said Boyce told him the U.S. had notified Indonesian
Military authorities before the overflight by a group of American
jet fighters.

"But regretfully, the TNI Headquarters did not receive (the
notification) in time," Susilo said.

He refused to discuss which office within the military command
might have received the U.S. notification, saying, "I'm not going
to talk about such bureaucratic matters."

Indonesia's Air Force has reportedly said the Hornets locked
onto the F-16 jets sent to intercept them last week before
communication was established.

Susilo said the U.S. government was "very seriously"
responding to Jakarta's concern over the incident.

"I have received a U.S. commitment that its jet fighters will
not fly over Indonesian airspace unless we give them permission,"
he said.

Boyce did not speak to journalists after the meeting.

"The U.S. has also assured us that its warplanes will abide by
the Convention on Maritime Law ratified by our country and
acknowledged by the U.S. as an international customary law,"
Susilo said.

He was referring to the 1944 Chicago Convention, which Jakarta
ratified in 1992.

"We both believe that the two countries will intensify
communications in order to avoid such miscommunication in the
future," he said.

The incident, in which the F-18 Hornets were detected on Air
Force radar maneuvering over Bawean island in East Java, once
again tested ties between Jakarta and Washington.

The Indonesian Air Force dispatched F-16 jet fighters to
intercept the American warplanes.

The incident came as the two countries attempt to boost
military ties, which were damaged by Jakarta's failure to prevent
the rampage in East Timor by military-backed militias when that
territory voted for independence in 1999.

The East Timor mayhem led the U.S. to slap an arms embargo on
Indonesia.

International law experts have urged Indonesia to lodge a
protest over the intrusion, saying it could jeopardize the
country's commercial routes.

There has been speculation that the American warplanes were on
their way to Iraq, but experts here said that "it is possible the
jet fighters were on an espionage mission".

Susilo reported that the U.S. said the planes were flying from
Singapore to Australia, and that "it was normal for the jet
fighters to conduct an exercise during the journey".

During Thursday's meeting, Susilo was accompanied by National
Air Defense Commander Rear Marshall Wresniwiro and Dino Pati
Djalal, the director of North and Central American affairs at the
foreign ministry.