Sjafrie Shocked to Be Invited to the Pentagon by the US Defence Secretary, despite a US Entry Ban

Jakarta — Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said he was initially surprised when invited by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Pentagon in April 2026. He explained that he had been on a United States entry ban for decades due to his involvement as a special forces soldier deployed in East Timor. He said he had tried to address the matter while accompanying the cabinet of the sixth Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but was still not allowed to enter the United States. “So all special forces soldiers who ever served in East Timor were banned. And now after 27 years we are banned. I had tried to resolve it while accompanying the Pak SBY cabinet, but suddenly I was banned from entry, in the name of the United States government,” he said. As a result, in April 2026, Sjafrie did manage to enter the United States and sign the Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) between Indonesia and the United States at the Pentagon. He replied, “There will be no more bans. All special forces will be given the same opportunity as others.”