On Indonesia and the U.S.

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