Selecting the next chief of intelligence

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.