Prabowo's explanation of troop deployment refuted

Prabowo's explanation of troop deployment refuted

JAKARTA (JP): A senior advisor of President B.J. Habibie
refuted Saturday a claim by former Army Strategic Reserves
Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto that he
intended to defend Habibie's security the day after he assumed
the presidency on May 21.

Presidential spokeswoman Dewi Fortuna Anwar said the First
Family were evacuated from their residence in Kuningan, South
Jakarta, because the deployment of additional troops around the
home was considered a serious threat to their safety.

"If there was no security threat to the President at that
time, why were Pak Habibie and his family evacuated to the State
Guesthouse?" Dewi said, on the sidelines of the sixth anniversary
of the Center for Information and Development Studies in Jakarta.

On Monday Habibie told a gathering of Asian and German editors
that troops loyal to Prabowo were concentrated around his house
on May 22. Habibie said he then ordered Minister of Defense and
Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto to withdraw the
troops. "Troops under the command of somebody whose name I will
not hide -- general Prabowo -- were concentrated in several
places, including my home," Habibie disclosed recalling the May
22 deployment.

Prabowo, a son-in-law of Soeharto, defended his actions on
Friday, saying the mobilization of extra troops was to protect
Habibie in line with instructions received from the ABRI top
brass.

"I am saddened by the perception that I am accused of
threatening the safety of President B.J. Habibie, someone who I
have admired for many years," Prabowo said in a statement
released by friends on Friday. Prabowo is currently in Jordan.

Wiranto on Friday played down Habibie's statement, emphasizing
that many ABRI units had been stationed in the capital before the
May 14 riots to maintain security and order.

The government has yet to issue an official account on the
transfer of power from Soeharto to Habibie.

Sources at the palace with Habibie on May 21, said the
President stayed at the State Guesthouse until 10 p.m. His wife,
Hasri Ainun Habibie together with their two sons' immediate
families joined him soon after the swearing-in ceremony.

The sources said Prabowo insisted on a meeting with Habibie.
At 3 p.m. the two met with Prabowo, allegedly warmly embracing
the new President. Habibie's then advisor on military affairs Lt.
Gen. (ret) Sintong Panjaitan reportedly frisked Prabowo before
the meeting.

The contents of their conversation remains a mystery. Some
speculate that the former Kostrad chief demanded a higher
position. He was removed from the post the following day.

Prabowo was reassigned to a less significant position in
Bandung on May 22 and discharged in August after admitting
involvement in the abduction of political activists. He is
currently conducting business in Amman, Jordan, for a company
owned by his younger brother Hashim Djoyohadikusumo.

Dewi said that Prabowo "does not have to go abroad".

"Someone who is still facing unresolved problems just goes
abroad. How nice!"

Dewi said that perhaps Habibie's remarks may have been a
tactic to help Wiranto's image. Wiranto -- currently facing
problems such as demands that the position of Armed Forces
commander and minister of defense and security be separated --
had "acted very professionally" at a critical time, said Dewi.

"If at that time Wiranto had taken the wrong decision and been
unable to enforce discipline among the Armed Forces... the
history of reform (in Indonesia) would be very different."
(gis/prb)