Susilo denies Army role in ambush

JAKARTA: Top Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied on Monday the involvement of the Indonesian Army in the deadly attack on a convoy of buses in Timika, Papua, that killed one Indonesian and two American teachers in August 2002.

According to Susilo, a joint investigating team from the military and police was still investigating the fatal attack.

Susilo was responding to remarks by Mathew P. Daley, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who said that the preponderance of evidence collected during a preliminary investigation by the Indonesian police indicated that "members of Indonesian Army were responsible for the murders in Papua."

"Up until now, the team has yet to conclude its investigation," Susilo said during a press conference here on Monday.

Susilo stressed that the arrival of FBI agents was not aimed at interfering with the ongoing investigation being carried out by Indonesian military and police, arguing that "they (the FBI) will only help the investigation process." --JP