U.S. provides antiterror equipment

U.S. provides antiterror equipment

DENPASAR, Bali: The United States government handed over 60
metal detectors and 30 under-car mirrors to the Bali Police on
Tuesday in an effort to improve the local police's capability in
preventing any terror attack.

Bombs rocked the resort island on Oct. 12 last year, killing
202 people, mostly foreigners. Seven U.S. citizens were among
those who perished in the blasts.

U.S. Vice Consul Philip Antweiler stated the equipment worth
Rp 330 million reflected U.S.-Indonesia cooperation in fighting
terrorism.

"We expect that this aid will help Bali to be a safer place,"
he said.

At the end of the ceremony, Special Agent Tim Dumas of the
U.S. Diplomatic Security Service provided a brief demonstration
on how to use the metal detectors to six officers from the
police's elite Mobile Brigade.

Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said his
officers had the necessary skills to operate the detectors, but
they were often careless in conducting a search.

Pastika revealed that the U.S. would like to provide the Bali
Police with five explosive detectors, which are capable of
sensing and identifying certain particles commonly released by
explosive materials. -- JP

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KPU denies corrupt practices
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KPU denies corrupt practices

JAKARTA: A member of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in
charge of logistics denied on Tuesday that there were anomalies
in the procurement of vehicles for commission members.

KPU member, Chusnul Mar'iyah, said that any procurement of
goods for the KPU had always been conducted in a transparent
manner.

"How could we conceal it if we ask the supplier to present
their product in an open forum?" Chusnul said.

Chusnul was responding to some non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) which questioned the purchase of 468 Kijang vans and 407
motorbikes for KPU members in regencies and provinces. The
vehicles, which cost Rp 73.9 billion (US$8.6 million), were
procured without a tender.

NGOs activists said the procurement was not transparent. But
Chusnul challenged the activists to present evidence of any
corruption by KPU members. -- JP

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Foreign ministry has new spokesman
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Foreign ministry has new spokesman

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has named a new
spokesman who will replace Marty Natalegawa, who has been named
director general of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations
(ASEAN).

A source at the foreign ministry told The Jakarta Post on
Tuesday that Marty would be replaced by young diplomat Yuri
Thamrin, who is currently stationed in New York at the Indonesian
mission to the United Nations.

No date has been set for the official announcement of the
replacement, but Marty took up his new job last week.

Marty is replacing senior diplomat Abdurrahman Mattaliti, who
was appointed as Indonesian ambassador to the European Union.--JP

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Hamzah launches VP center
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Hamzah launches VP center

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz inaugurated on Tuesday the
Vice President Center, a non-governmental organization which will
provide an alternative forum for communication between the
government, people and private sector in dealing with problems
facing the nation.

The center's major program, called the People's Solidarity for
National Assets (Superiman), will seek to raise by the end of
this year Rp 100 trillion (US$11.7 billion), which will be used
to help the national economic recovery program. As of Tuesday the
center had collected Rp 325 million, including Rp 25 million from
Hamzah.

Chaired by Hamzah, the center named President Megawati
Soekarnoputri its chief patron, vice presidential secretary
Priyono Tjipto Harijanto, Bank Indonesia Governor Burhanuddin
Abdullah, businessman Aburizal Bakrie, former finance minister
Bambang Sudibyo, Muslim scholars Komaruddin Hidayat and Azyumardi
Azra and Maluku leader Des Alwi the advisors. The day-to-day work
of the center will be conducted by Hamzah's aide Laode M.
Kamaluddin,

The activities of the center are announced to the public
through its homepage www.istanawapres.go.id. -- Antara