RI doubts revival of U.S. military training aid
RI doubts revival of U.S. military training aid
JAKARTA (JP): A senior defense official yesterday welcomed the
gesture by a high ranking officer of the United States to revive
the military training aid program for Indonesia, although he cast
doubt on the probability given the sentiments in the U.S.
Congress.
Maj. Gen. I Made Sadha A.R. the Director General for
Materials, Facilities and Services at the Ministry of Defense and
Security, said that he believed that the U.S. military plan to
revive the International Military Education Training (IMET)
program for Indonesian officers is likely to be blocked by U.S.
Congress.
"We will be awaiting the Congress' reaction to the proposal,"
Sadha said during a meeting with the House of Representatives's
Commission I dealing with security affairs.
Admiral Williams Owens, the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint
Chief of Staff, who was in Jakarta early this week, said the U.S.
military is keen to resume the IMET program for Indonesia because
it is a crucial part of the military cooperation between the two
countries.
Owens, who met with Vice President Try Sutrisno and a number
of high ranking Indonesian military officers, said that the U.S.
military would like to see the IMET training for Indonesia
stipulated in the 1996 U.S. government budget, which must be
approved by U.S. Congress.
American political watchers say there is a better chance of
the proposal being accepted by a Republican-dominated Congress
but it might face a veto from the Democrat-administration of
President Bill Clinton.
The IMET program for Indonesia was slashed in 1992 by
Democrat-dominated Congress which alleged human rights abuses by
the Indonesian military, particularly in the way it handled the
East Timor affairs.
American Congress also managed to foil Indonesia's plan to
purchase U.S.-made F-5 fighters from Jordan. Last year, U.S.
Congress also restricted sales of small arms to Indonesia.
Following the cessation of the IMET program, Indonesia has
been sending its officers for education and training to
Australia.
Sadha said Indonesia and the United States have mutual
interests in forging the military cooperation, including reviving
the IMET program. "Military personnel of the two countries will
face certain difficulties in joint military exercises if they do
not know one another," he said.
Although Indonesia has no joint military exercise program with
the United States, their personnel often meet in international
joint exercises, such as at Kangaroo '95 that was held recently
in Australia, he said.
Like Owens, Sadha said it was the spirit of the cooperation
that mattered most because the size of the military aid under
IMET is a minuscule $2.5 million a year.
Sadha also said Indonesia would always welcome American offers
to sell weapons but stressed that any sales must not carry
political conditions.
He said as a matter of policy, the Indonesian military does
not rely on a single supplier for its weapons. (rms)