State intelligence chief Hendropriyono quits
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono, widely known for his loyalty to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, tendered his resignation after Megawati's successor took the oath of office on Wednesday.
Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi confirmed on Friday that Hendropriyono quit and delegated his authority and duties to his deputy, As'ad Said.
Sudi said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced Hendropriyono's resignation at the first Cabinet meeting on Friday and will soon appoint a new BIN chief.
"We cannot tell you whether the BIN chief submitted a written resignation. The President informed us at the Cabinet meeting of the transfer of duty to the BIN deputy chief from Hendropriyono," Sudi told a news conference.
Hendropriyono did not attend the first Cabinet meeting presided over by Susilo.
Sudi gave no reason as to why and when the BIN chief had stepped down.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that Hendropriyono decided to resign on Oct. 20, when Susilo officially took the oath of office as the country's sixth president before the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Hendropriyono is one of Megawati's closest confidantes and often engaged in serious and hot debates with Susilo when the latter served as coordinating minister for political and security affairs in the Megawati Cabinet.
Hendropriyono's performance as the BIN chief is considered by some as questionable as he failed to anticipate and prevent a series of recent terror attacks, including the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed at least 2002 people, mostly Western tourists.
A year later, another powerful bomb exploded at the JW Marriott Hotel in one of Jakarta's busiest business districts, claiming 12 lives.
Terrorists also bombed the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Sept. 9, 2004, killing 10 people, including the suicide bomber.
BIN is one of the country's most important state agencies, tasked with coordinating the intelligence activities of other state bodies such as the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Attorney General's Office.
The National Police have linked the string of devastating bombings to Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) regional terror network, and warned of more possible attacks as two JI masterminds, Azahari bin Husin and Noordin M. Top, remain at large.
Despite analysts and other critics claiming Hendropriyono had a poor reputation, the honorary rank of four-star general was bestowed upon him by Megawati, just days before she ended her three-year tenure on Wednesday.
Hendropriyono has been an advisory board member of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) since 2002.
Sudi said President Susilo would soon begin selecting candidates to replace Hendropriyono. However, no names were floated on Friday as possible candidates.
Sources said that Susilo may pick either As'ad Said or M. Yassin, a deputy coordinating minister for political and security affairs, to fill the top post at BIN.