US embassy cable - 02JAKARTA97

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000097 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PGOV, MASS, ID 
SUBJECT: YUDHOYONO ASKS FOR U.S. HELP 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE STEPHEN D. MULL FOR REASON 1.5(D). 
 
2. (C) SUMMARY. COORDINATING MINISTER FOR POLITICAL AND 
SECURITY AFFAIRS YUDHOYONO TOLD CHARGE JANUARY 9 THAT THE GOI 
NOW HAS POLITICAL SPACE TO ACT FIRMLY AGAINST RADICAL GROUPS. 
YUDHOYONO ASKED THAT THE U.S. HELP IMPROVE THE 
ANTI-TERRORISM CAPABILITIES OF THE INDONESIAN MILITARY. 
CHARGE REPLIED THAT NEW U.S. LEGISLATION MIGHT ALLOW 
ANTI-TERRORISM TRAINING FOR COUNTRIES LIKE INDONESIA. 
YUDHOYONO SAID HE HOPED THAT MILITARY TIES WOULD GENERALLY 
IMPROVE AND THAT THE IMMINENT HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL WOULD 
SATISFY LEAHY AMENDMENT CONCERNS OVER ACCOUNTABILITY. 
YUDHOYONO SOUGHT CLARIFICATION OF REMARKS BY DEPUTY SECRETARY 
WOLFOWITZ THAT INDONESIA MIGHT BE ONE OF THE NEXT THEATERS OF 
ACTION AGAINST AL-QAEDA; CHARGE STRESSED THAT U.S. IS NOT 
CONTEMPLATING UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TERRORISTS 
IN INDONESIA.  YUDHOYONO'S REMARKS REVEALED THAT THE GOI'S 
PLANS FOR ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATIONS AIM PRIMARILY AT 
SEPARATISM IN ACEH AND PAPUA AND INTERCOMMUNAL CONFLICT IN 
SULAWESI AND THE MOLUCCAS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (U) CHARGE MET JANUARY 9 WITH COORDINATING MINISTER FOR 
POLITICAL AND SECURITY AFFAIRS SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, AT 
YUDHOYONO'S REQUEST, TO DISCUSS ANTI-TERRORISM ISSUES. 
 
POLITICAL SPACE TO ACT FIRMLY 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THAT "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" AND "THE TIME 
HAS COME TO ACT FIRMLY" AGAINST MUSLIM EXTREMISTS AND OTHERS 
WHO ENGAGE IN TERRORISM OR THREATEN PUBLIC ORDER.  FOR 
EXAMPLE, HE SAID HAD TAKE A TOUGH LINE AGAINST INTERCOMMUNAL 
VIOLENCE IN SULAWESI.  THE POLICE AND MILITARY HAVE DEPLOYED 
FIVE BATTALIONS TO CENTRAL SULAWESI AND HAVE BEGUN DISARMING 
AND EVENTUALLY "REPATRIATING" OUTSIDE EXTREMISTS LIKE LASKAR 
JIHAD.  YUDHOYONO PLANS A TRIP TO AMBON, MALUKU NEXT WEEK TO 
HELP ADDRESS INTERCOMMUNAL TENSIONS THERE AS WELL. 
 
5. (C) YUDHOYONO, WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A ONE-DAY TRIP 
TO SINGAPORE, SAID SENIOR SINGAPOREAN OFFICIALS WERE APPALLED 
BY INDONESIAN MUSLIM LEADERS' CALLING ON THE GOI TO REFRAIN 
FROM MOVING AGAINST LOCAL MILITANTS LINKED TO THE TERRORISTS 
RECENTLY ARRESTED IN SINGAPORE.  YUDHOYONO HAD REASSURED DPM 
TONY TAN AND SENIOR MINISTER LEE KUAN YEW THAT SUCH REMARKS 
DID NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF MOST INDONESIANS OR EVEN MOST 
INDONESIAN MUSLIMS.  YUDHOYONO SAID THAT SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT 
FOR MUSLIM EXTREMISTS HAS IN FACT WEAKENED GREATLY IN THE 
LAST FEW MONTHS SINCE IT PEAKED WHEN U.S.-LED MILITARY ACTION 
COMMENCED IN AFGHANISTAN.  YUDHOYONO BELIEVES THAT THE GOI 
NOW HAS THE POLITICAL SPACE TO ACT AGAINST MUSLIM EXTREMISTS. 
 HE SAID THAT PRESIDENT MEGAWATI, VICE PRESIDENT HAMZAH HAZ, 
AND PARLIAMENTARY LEADERS WILL NOW SUPPORT TOUGH MEASURES 
AGAINST ANYONE, INCLUDING RADICAL MUSLIMS, WHO THREATENS 
PUBLIC ORDER. 
 
U.S. ASSISTANCE 
--------------- 
 
6. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THAT LAST WEEK HE HAD CHAIRED AN 
INTERAGENCY MEETING TO REVIEW THE CAPABILITIES OF THE POLICE 
AND MILITARY TO ACT AGAINST INTERNAL SECURITY THREATS AND 
TERRORISTS.  HE SAID THE MILITARY CANNOT CURRENTLY ADDRESS 
ADEQUATELY INTERNAL THREATS FROM "TERRORISTS" IN POSO, AMBON, 
AND ACEH.  HE SAID THAT, FOR ITS PART, THE GOI NEEDS TO 
"PROPERLY ALLOCATE" RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE REAL NEEDS OF 
THE MILITARY.  YUDHOYONO SAID THAT HE ALSO PLANS TO ASK FOR 
"CONCRETE SUPPORT" FROM THE U.S.  THOUGH HE PREVIEWED HIS 
PLANS FOR US, HE EMPHASIZED THAT HE WAS STILL AWAITING 
APPROVAL FROM PRESIDENT MEGAWATI AND VICE PRESIDENT HAMZAH 
HAZ BEFORE MAKING A FORMAL APPROACH.  YUDHOYONO DID NOT 
DISCUSS SPECIFICS EXCEPT TO NOTE THAT THE INDONESIAN MILITARY 
FACED SERIOUS PROBLEMS OF "MOBILITY."  (ON THE MARGINS OF THE 
MEETING, YUDHOYONO'S DEPUTY MENTIONED HELICOPTERS AND 
TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT.) 
 
NEW LEGISLATION 
--------------- 
 
7. (C) IN RESPONSE TO YUDHOYONO'S FEELER, THE CHARGE NOTED 
THAT RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION AUTHORIZES THE DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN MILITARIES FOR 
ANTI-TERRORISM THAT MIGHT BE A SOURCE OF HELP FOR INDONESIA. 
WITHOUT GETTING INTO DETAILS, THE CHARGE SAID THAT ANY 
ASSISTANCE RENDERED TO INDONESIA WOULD PROBABLY BE USED FOR 
TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RATHER THAN EQUIPMENT.  THE 
CHARGE ALSO NOTED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAD REPEALED THE 
PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL SALES OF NON-LETHAL MILITARY ITEMS, 
BROADLY UNDERSTOOD.  WE COULD NOT PROVIDE FINANCING OR CREDIT 
FOR THESE COMMERCIAL PURCHASES, HOWEVER.  WE HAD ALREADY 
OFFERED SEVERAL TIMES TO REVIEW AN INDONESIAN WISH LIST IN 
ADVANCE AND INDICATE WHAT SPECIFIC ITEMS WE WOULD BE WILLING 
TO AUTHORIZE FOR COMMERCIAL SALE. 
 
BETTER MILITARY TIES AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
--------------------------------------- 
 
8. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THAT HE HOPED FOR GENERALLY BETTER 
MILITARY-MILITARY TIES.  HE ASKED RHETORICALLY EXACTLY WHAT 
THE U.S. HOPED TO ACHIEVE BY LIMITING MILITARY TIES. 
INDONESIA, YUDHOYONO SAID, NEEDED A ROBUST MILITARY TO SOLVE 
FUNDAMENTAL THREATS TO SOVEREIGNTY IN IRIAN JAYA AND ACEH, AS 
WELL AS INTERCOMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL SULAWESI AND THE 
MOLUCCAS.  WITHOUT A CAPABLE MILITARY, INDONESIA WOULD NOT BE 
ABLE TO COMBAT TERRORISM EFFECTIVELY AND WOULD FACE A 
FUNDAMENTAL THREAT TO ITS NATIONAL INTEGRITY.  THE CHARGE 
REPLIED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD YUDHOYONO'S FRUSTRATION AND SAID 
THAT THE U.S. WANTED TO COOPERATE WITH A FRIENDLY MILITARY 
THAT RESPECTS HUMAN RIGHTS AND WAS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ABUSES. 
THOUGH THE POSSIBILITY OF ASSISTANCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM MIGHT NOT BE ALL THAT YUDHOYONO HOPED FOR, IT WAS A 
GOOD START.  YUDHOYONO HOPED THE CONVENING OF THE HUMAN 
RIGHTS TRIBUNAL "NEXT MONTH" WOULD ADDRESS U.S. CONCERNS OVER 
HUMAN RIGHTS ACCOUNTABILITY. (NOTE: THE CONVENING OF THE 
TRIBUNAL IS PUBLICLY SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 15, BUT THERE HAVE 
BEEN MANY RUMORS OF A POSTPONEMENT. END NOTE.) HE STRESSED, 
HOWEVER, THAT IMPLEMENTING ACCOUNTABILITY WOULD TAKE TIME. 
 
WOLFOWITZ REMARKS 
----------------- 
 
9. (C) YUDHOYONO ASKED THE CHARGE FOR CLARIFICATION OF 
REPORTED REMARKS BY DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WOLFOWITZ 
THAT INDONESIA MAY BECOME ONE OF THE NEXT THEATERS OF ACTIONS 
AGAINST AL-QAEDA.  HE SAID "YOU DO NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO ME, 
BUT I NEED TO EXPLAIN TO PRESIDENT MEGAWATI AND TO 
PARLIAMENT."  UNFORTUNATELY, SUCH REMARKS, WHICH YUDHOYONO 
SAID HE PERSONALLY UNDERSTOOD IN THE PROPER CONTEXT, ARE 
EASILY DISTORTED BY ISLAMIST CRITICS INTO ACCUSATIONS THAT 
THE U.S. PLANS TO ATTACK INDONESIA.  THE CHARGE REPLIED THAT 
WOLFOWITZ'S PUBLIC REMARKS HAVE BEEN NEARLY IDENTICAL TO OUR 
PRIVATE MESSAGE TO THE GOI.  WE HAVE NATURAL CONCERNS THAT 
INDONESIA, AS A LARGE, OPEN COUNTRY, COULD BE VULNERABLE TO 
INFILTRATION BY AL-QAEDA OR OTHER TERRORISTS.  WE WANT TO 
WORK WITH THE GOI TO ADDRESS THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM, BUT WE 
HAVE NO PLANS FOR UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST 
INDONESIA.  TOO OFTEN, THE CHARGE SAID, THE PRESS DISTORTED 
OUR CONSISTENT MESSAGE. 
 
COMMENT: WHAT'S THE REAL TARGET? 
-------------------------------- 
 
10. (C) INDONESIA DOES FACE SERIOUS LOGISTICS CHALLENGES THAT 
IMPEDE EFFECTIVE EFFORTS TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL TERROR. 
HOWEVER, WE DOUBT THE INTERNATIONAL THREAT IS THE GOI'S 
PRIMARY CONCERN-EVEN IN THE WAKE OF RECENT ARRESTS IN THE 
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.  YUDHOYONO'S REMARKS MADE CLEAR THAT 
THE GOI'S CONCEPTION OF THE TERRORIST THREAT DIFFERS FROM THE 
U.S. CONCERN WITH INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS LIKE AL-QAEDA. 
YUDHOYONO BARELY MENTIONED INTERNATIONAL OR FOREIGN 
TERRORISM, RESERVING HIS REMARKS MAINLY FOR SEPARATISTS IN 
ACEH AND IRIAN JAYA AND THOSE WHO PROVOKE INTERCOMMUNAL 
VIOLENCE IN SULAWESI AND THE MOLUCCAS. 
 
 
MULL