DEFENSE COOPERATION -- INDONESIAN MILITARY WANTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003199 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PM, PM/RSAT E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PGOV ID SUBJECT: DEFENSE COOPERATION -- INDONESIAN MILITARY WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH U.S. REF: A. JAKARTA 3155 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. IIR 6 845 0016 08 ¶C. IIR 6 845 0019 08 ¶D. IIR 6 845 0017 08 ¶E. IIR 6 845 0018 08 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Senior Indonesian defense officials have expressed broad support for moving forward on cooperation with the U.S. Their near-term objectives are practical and tied to Indonesia's immediate need to rebuild its military capabilities after more than a decade of sanctions. Primary areas of further cooperation, in their view, are maritime security, peacekeeping, training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. They have also expressed interest in exploring a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA). As reviewed in ref a, Mission strongly supports closer cooperation in line with our Strategic Partnership with Indonesia. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Mission Defense Attache (DATT) spoke to senior Indonesian military officials in late October regarding U.S.-Indonesia military relations. These discussions were part of Mission's assessment of the current relationship, and where the United States and Indonesia should try to take the relationship in the future. The information below is a synopsis of reports contained in IIRs by Mission's Defense Attache's Office (refs b-e). COOPERATION AGREEMENT MOOTED ¶3. (C) Department of Defense Secretary General LTG Syafrie Sjamsoeddin told DATT on October 23 that the military relationship was at a point where joint defense activities could be captured in a Defense Cooperation Agreement. Indonesia is in the process of negotiating a series of DCAs with defense partners, mostly in East Asia. A DCA could cover defense cooperation programs, assistance and activities. Syafrie demurred on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and echoed the GOI's previously stated preference for ad hoc, stand-alone SOFAs focused on disaster relief on an as-needed basis. ¶4. (C) Syafrie recommended that U.S.-Indonesia defense cooperation focus on three main areas: maritime security, peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR). He said the availability of C-130 parts had been critical in restoring Indonesian HADR capabilities since the 2004 tsunami in Aceh. TRAINING SEEN AS PRIORITY ¶5. (C) Adviser to the Minister of Defense on Security Affairs MG Djoko Sutrisno told DATT on October 26 that U.S.-sponsored training for younger TNI officers and non-commissioned officers was a high priority. Sutrisno, who attended the U.S. Army Engineer School early in his career, stressed that it was critical that the Army Special Forces (KOPASSUS) obtain access to U.S. training as part of the overall development of the relationship. Sutrisno echoed Syafrie's emphasis on maritime security, peacekeeping and HADR as the three areas on which defense cooperation should focus in the near-term. Sutrisno likewise called for a DCA and noted the idea had been broached during the 2005 bilateral Strategic Dialogue. Indonesia needed U.S. assistance in developing sealift capabilities, beginning with the ageing U.S.-origin Landing Ship Tanks (LST),which were still useful in humanitarian relief. Sutrisno asked if LST parts were still available. DATT responded that they were and that Mission could assist Indonesia with the application process. ¶6. (C) Department of Defense Director General for Defense Strategy MG Dadi Susanto told the DATT on October 24 that Indonesia needed more joint training and exercises, education and spare parts from the United States and wanted to focus cooperation particularly on maritime security. Susanto agreed with other GOI officials that a DCA would strengthen U.S.-Indonesia mil-mil cooperation. Indonesia was not yet JAKARTA 00003199 002 OF 002 ready politically for a SOFA, but was in the process of negotiating a SOFA-like document with the Philippines which might become a template for use with other countries. Despite the recent Russian grant of $1 billion in credits for defense purchases, he stressed, Indonesia still preferred U.S. equipment and cooperation. On regional security, Susanto said Indonesia could never consider China a potential adversary, given China's relationship with ASEAN, but still considered the United States to be the anchor of stability in the region. LET'S RETURN TO PRE-SANCTION TIES ¶7. (C) National Resilience Institute (LEMHANAS) Deputy Governor Air Marshal Toto Riyanto told the DATT on October 23 that in five years he would like to see the U.S.-Indonesia defense relationship return to its pre-1991 level, that is, before the imposition of sanctions. Each of the services, and the TNI as a whole, had had excellent relations with U.S. counterparts at that time, he noted. LEMHANAS staff Air Vice Marshal Surya Dharma said primary areas where Indonesia sought mil-mil cooperation with the United States were maritime surveillance, peacekeeping and HADR. (Note: LEMHANAS, which reports directly to the Indonesian President, prepares senior military officers and civilian officials for national leadership in security issues and is somewhat analogous to the U.S. National Defense University.) VALUABLE PERSPECTIVES ¶8. (C) Mission urges Washington agencies to factor these positive perspectives into its ongoing assessment of U.S.-Indonesia mil-mil cooperation. Mil-mil cooperation is an important part of the overall bilateral relationship, which encompasses successful collaboration on counter-terrorism, law enforcement, protection of Americans in Indonesia, democratic governance and human rights, among other areas. The Indonesian military has a generally positive view of the United States and seeks a closer relationship. Closer cooperation is the best way to ensure that Indonesia shares U.S. values and respects, if not shares totally, U.S. security policy objectives. ¶9. (C) The high degree of consistency among the responses of these four senior TNI officials suggests a firm consensus exists among Indonesia's senior defense officials in favor of moving forward with the United States and about Indonesia's objectives in that relationship. Mission intends to explore Indonesian thinking further regarding a DCA. (The DCA recently negotiated with Singapore has become highly controversial in Indonesia and ratification is currently blocked.) HUME