DISCOURAGING TNI FROM TAKING MANPADS TO UNIFIL

S E C R E T JAKARTA 012160 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PM/RSAT, EAP AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2016 TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL ID LE SUBJECT: DISCOURAGING TNI FROM TAKING MANPADS TO UNIFIL MISSION REF: STATE 163501 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires John A. Heffern, for reasons 1.4(a)(b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Charge discussed the MANPADS issue with Indonesian Presidential Foreign Policy Adviser Dino Patti Djalal on October 2. Charge emphasized that Indonesian deployment with MANPADS would cause big problems and urged GOI to reconsider. Djalal subsequently discussed the issue with the commander of the Indonesian military (TNI),who reportedly replied that he was "open minded" about dropping MANPADS from the deployment inventory if the United Nations deemed air defense to be inconsistent with UNIFIL's Rules of Engagement (ROE). Djalal will be in New York October 5, apparently for meetings with the DPKO. We believe it would be helpful for USUN New York to attempt to persuade DPKO to tell Djalal and Preidential adviser TB Silalahi to interpret the ROE as not requiring an air defense capability and request that they drop MANPADS from their inventory. ¶2. (S) Earlier that day, Defense Attache had raised the issue with TNI MG Bambang Darmono (ASOPS) and MG Eddi Budianto (WASSINTEL) on October 2. DATT discussed the deployment timeline, equipment, personnel and the need for human-rights vetting of Indonesian Peacekeepers to the Middle East. TNI interlocutors told DATT then that the TNI would deploy an advance unit of 125 troops on October 10, 2006 and the main body of the force, approximately 725 troops, on October 25, ¶2006. Equipment, which would be sealifted, would be deployed at the same time as the main body. On October 3, the DATT was told that the deployment would be postponed to November ¶20. ¶3. (S) According to MG Darmono, Indonesia plans to deploy with 12 QW-1 shoulder-launched air defense missiles. Darmono believes the United Nations accepted the Indonesian equipment list, including MANPADS, and asserted it "would be a problem" if the TNI were asked not to bring the missiles. MG Budianto also expressed irritation when told that U.S. lifting of the Indonesian force would require vetting of the commander of the PKO battalion. HEFFERN