Selecting the next chief of intelligence

Ken Conboy, Jakarta

While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has focused much attention on rectifying the leadership struggle within the armed forces, another vital organization has been left rudderless over the past month. On Oct.20, A.M. Hendropriyono relinquished his ministerial-level position as head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN). Since then, the agency has been marking time under the temporary leadership of its deputy head, As'at Said.

In selecting the next chief of intelligence, the president no doubt realizes that much is at stake. His administration, for example, could well use BIN's input as it charts new courses for Aceh and Papua. BIN, too, has resources that could help extinguish the simmering communal violence in Central Sulawesi.

But it is in the ongoing war on terrorism where BIN plays its most critical role. This is because terrorists do not respect national borders; combating them, then, requires close cooperation with foreign intelligence services. More so than at any time in the past, BIN has expanded ties with its counterparts. The results have been encouraging: since 2001, the media has reported on three cases in which BIN tracked and deported foreign nationals with links to terrorist organizations (the actual figure is reportedly considerably higher).

The next head of intelligence will take the reigns at a time of significant change within the agency. In recent weeks, for instance, BIN has added directorates dealing with economic crime and legal issues. Both of these units will focus on corruption cases, an indication that BIN intends to actively participate in one of the top priorities of the Yudhoyono administration.

The agency is also fleshing out its plan to upgrade its representative posts "pos wilayah" in every province. These posts will be charged with coordinating intelligence-gathering efforts by all government agencies at the district level; they will also run agent networks responsive to BIN. In a clear sign of increased synergy between BIN and the police, plans call for each post to be headed by a general on loan from the police.

BIN, in fact, is taking the lead on fostering cooperation among all of the country's intelligence organs. This is a welcome break from the past, when Indonesia's intelligence community was correctly criticized for its inter-agency bickering. Next month however, BIN will host the first meeting of a Joint Analyst Team focusing on terrorism. Members of the team will be drawn from BIN, the National Police, immigration, and the military's intelligence agency (BAIS). It is expected that further teams will be formed over the coming year to tackle other pressing issues.

As it now stands, two candidates are now considered to have the best chance of taking over BIN's top slot. One is Sjamsir Siregar, a retired general who supported Yudhoyono during the campaign. Siregar would be a safe choice of sorts although his name was not totally clean from human rights problems. As a member of the president's Success Team, he obviously has the trust of the executive branch. Too, Siregar has an intelligence background: a decade ago he was head of BAIS. Recruiting the chief of the civilian intelligence agency from the ranks of BAIS was common practice during the Soeharto era.

But while safe, Siregar might not be seen as an ideal choice. For one thing, it would hardly be passing the torch to a new generation. As a graduate of the military academy's Class of 1965, Siregar is two years older than the previous head, Hendropriyono. Siregar is also perceived to be bringing with him the military's combat intelligence mentality that BIN has been trying to avoid.

The other candidate tipped for the top post is As'at Said, the current caretaker. A career intelligence officer since entering the civil service in 1974, As'at spent eight years in overseas postings (all in the Middle East) and earlier was head of BIN's analytical division. Fluent in Arabic, he is arguably one of the government's foremost experts on radical Islam. In 2000, he became the first civilian to be promoted to the number two position at BIN; all previous deputy chiefs were military officers.

In selecting As'at, the President would be making a choice rich with symbolism.

Just as is already the case with most of its foreign intelligence counterparts, BIN has been deliberately trying to move away from the earlier practice of filling its upper hierarchy with military officers. At present, just two of its thirteen Echelon One officers come from the TNI. Of is thirty- five Echelon Two officers, only five hail from the military. In choosing As'at, the President would underscore the trend toward civilian supremacy in Indonesia's fast-maturing democracy.

But perhaps As'at's biggest asset is that he is a career professional and not a political appointee. By its very definition, an intelligence service must be seen as objective in its analysis.

This is reflected in BIN's own motto: Velox et exactus, or timely and accurate. Given the current contentious relationship between the executive and legislative branches, the best choice the president could make would be an intelligence chief seen as rising above the interests of any particular political party.

The author heads Risk Management Advisory, a security consultancy in Jakarta. He is the author of INTEL: Inside Indonesia's Intelligence Service.