ADMIRAL FALLON'S MEETING WITH MINISTER WIDODO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002820

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016
TAGS: MARR MASS PREL PGOV PTER PHUM ID
SUBJECT: ADMIRAL FALLON'S MEETING WITH MINISTER WIDODO


Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER DAVID WILLIS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) and (
D).


1. (C) Summary. Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral
William J. Fallon, met with Indonesian Coordinating Minister
for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Widodo A.S. on
February 23. He emphasized the importance to the United
States of restored mil-mil relations with Indonesia. Both
leaders shared their interest in overcoming past difficulties
to create a lasting relationship. Widodo noted Indonesia's
commitment to military reform and counterterrorism and
encouraged educational opportunities in the U.S. for the
Indonesian military. Admiral Fallon expressed U.S. support
for CT efforts among Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
in the triborder area. To handle the issue, Widodo said the
three countries had formed a special CT network and that
Indonesia had hosted a January meeting in Manado, Sulawesi.
End Summary.

Rebuilding Mil-Mil Relations
--------------


2. (SBU) Coordinating Minister Widodo began the February 23
meeting by expressing the Indonesian Government's
appreciation for the U.S. decision to lift military
assistance restrictions and normalize relations with
Indonesia's armed forces (TNI). He characterized this as the
start of a new era in U.S. - Indonesia bilateral relations
and viewed identifying the next steps as among his
responsibilities. Admiral Fallon described U.S. relations
with Indonesia as of the utmost importance and noted the
opportunity for Jakarta to demonstrate to Washington that the
TNI had moved beyond its checkered past by marking
accomplishments in areas of mutual concern, such as
counterterrorism.


3. (SBU) Widodo, a retired TNI Armed Forces Chief and the
only Navy Admiral to ever hold the position, extolled the
benefits he had personally witnessed of TNI Navy interaction
with PACOM elements and said such engagement could help
return relations to prior levels. Admiral Fallon said the
relationship could even reach higher levels and added that
the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Roughead,
was planning to visit Indonesia in March to meet with TNI
Navy Admirals to further identify ways to enhance relations.


4. (C) Long term educational opportunities in the United
States for TNI officers were suggested by Widodo as a
necessary programmatic element to enhance TNI professionalism
and deepen TNI experience with the culture, values, and
systems of the U.S. armed forces. Later, when program
participants achieved more strategic positions in their
career, they could rely on their previous U.S. educational
experience to approach the bilateral relationship. Admiral
Fallon agreed with the importance of joint educational
experiences and with incorporating such programs into the
relationship. In addition, the Admiral suggested
shorter-term educational opportunities for TNI officers also
could be arranged. As a second item of interest, Widodo said
the GOI was impressed by the speed of the U.S. military's
post-tsunami disaster response and was interested in building
a similar TNI capacity.

GOI Commitment to Reforms and Counterterrorism
-------------- --


5. (SBU) In a lengthy explanation of Indonesia's political
landscape, Widodo said TNI reform was a sincere priority for
both political and military leaders and included both
cultural and structural changes. The GOI remained committed
to democratization and creating a healthy political and
security environment to enable the country to fully recover
economically from the 1997-98 economic crisis. The internal
government anti-corruption effort was another important step
that eventually would ensure the entire GOI budget is used as
intended and that economic development items are fully funded.


6. (C) Widodo admitted Indonesia faced a serious terrorist
threat and said the GOI was committed to developing a policy
that incorporated law enforcement and ideological components
that would attract both political support and public
participation. International assistance, he said, was
essential for Indonesia's CT efforts. The GOI was moving to
elevate his Ministry's CT Coordination Desk to a
ministry-level agency, but a number of steps remained before

JAKARTA 00002820 002 OF 002


that body was able to coordinate the interagency CT effort.
Admiral Fallon added that the democratic principles shared by
the U.S. and Indonesia made cooperation against the common
terrorist threat a natural step. The Admiral told Widodo
that PACOM's Joint Interagency Taskforce - West (JIATF-West)
was looking at adapting its counternarcotics work to
counterterrorism, and that a JIATF-West officer was currently
in Jakarta and available for discussions. Widodo welcomed
the Admiral's invitation to an upcoming PACOM-sponsored
symposium in Bangkok to facilitate sharing experiences of
developing an integrated and coordinated CT approach.


7. (C) Admiral Fallon expressed U.S. interest in facilitating
CT cooperation in the triborder area among Indonesia,
Malaysia, and the Philippines, and was urging the Philippine
military to increase pressure on terrorists in Mindanao. The
Admiral encouraged Indonesia and Malaysia to likewise
increase vigilance in that border area and offered U.S.
assistance in the effort. Widodo said the GOI was aware the
terror threat in the triborder area and he used a wall map of
the region to identify the routes most frequently used
northward from Sulawesi and East Kalimantan. In response to
the threat, Widodo said the three countries had developed a
special intelligence network, and that Indonesia had hosted a
meeting in January in Manado, Sulawesi.


8. (U) Admiral Fallon has cleared this message.
PASCOE