KEY INDONESIAN OFFICIAL FACING SAO DIFFICULTIES

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001148 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, CA/FO, CA/VO/L/C (GREG BEER) NSC FOR J. BADER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL CVIS KISL ID SUBJECT: KEY INDONESIAN OFFICIAL FACING SAO DIFFICULTIES REF: A. JAKARTA 2234 ¶B. JAKARTA 2087 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Mission requires the Department's urgent assistance in securing Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) clearance for a senior GOI official and prominent Islamic leader who hopes to travel to Washington for meetings with House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) Co-Chairs Congressman David Price and Congressman David Dreier. The applicant's position is equivalent to that the of U.S. Senate Majority Leader. Facilitating this travel is a United States priority. As reftels have outlined, this is one of a series of difficulties we have had with the SAO process for key Indonesian officials. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Mission requests the Department's urgent assistance in securing interagency SAO clearance for Mr. Hidayat Nur Wahid to travel to the United States on July 12 as part of a GOI delegation. Nur Wahid expects to finalize his travel on July 8. During this visit, he has scheduled meetings with House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) Co-Chairs Congressman David Price and Congressman David Dreier. These meetings are part of an ongoing HDAC parliamentary reform effort underway with the Indonesian Parliament. Nur Wahid is Chairman of the People's Consultative Party (MPR),a position equivalent to that of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's position. Nur Wahid, the most senior member of the delegation, is the only one awaiting SAO clearance. Nur Wahid is also a prominent Muslim leader and former president of the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). ¶3. (U) Consular NIV Chief Elizabeth Perry sent particulars of Nur Wahid by email in an expedite request to Greg Beer in CA/VO. ¶4. (U) Reforming parliament and building cooperative links between the GOI and the USG is a key USG priority here. Additionally, Nur Wahid is a senior member of the largest Islamic-based party in Indonesia. As we work to improve relations with the Muslim world, it is of utmost importance to facilitate the travel of such an influential Muslim leader. The difficulties Nur Wahid is having with the SAO process threaten progress on these important objectives. This is not the first time the SAO process has created difficulties for senior GOI officials, as noted in reftel. Mission requests that the Department work urgently to address this problem. HUME