YUDHOYONO ASKS FOR U.S. HELP

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