On Indonesia and the U.S.

Mr. Karl Fritz has embarrassed himself and the U.S. Embassy by his strange, irrelevancy-filled response (The Jakarta Post, Jan. 18, 2000: Indonesia and U.S.) to Mr. Frank Richardson's recent articles on the CIA's involvement in Soeharto's long, totalitarian control over the Indonesian people. Instead of offering a factual rebuttal, Mr. Fritz engages in name-calling.

Perhaps there is no credible factual rebuttal available? Isn't this what critical readers are left to conclude? Americans now have access to previously classified information about the CIA's illegal activities of the past. It is a disservice to the United States and to the people of Indonesia to conceal or distort facts in the name of patriotism or duty, as Mr. Fritz seems to have done.

If Mr. Fritz wants readers to believe his claim that Mr. Richardson's statements are false, let him write a fuller and informed article for this paper, if he can.

DONNA K. WOODWARD

Medan, North Sumatra