MILITARY INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL AND UNIT VET CLEAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000652 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, DRL; NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2019 TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR ID SUBJECT: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL AND UNIT VET CLEAN -- REQUEST FOR DEPARTMENT CLEARANCE REF: A. JAKARTA 400 ¶B. STATE 22873 Classified By: CDA John A. Heffern for reasons 1.4(b+d) ¶1. (U) This is an Action Request. Please see paragraph 6. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Mission requests immediate clearance from the Department for a member of the Indonesian security forces to participate in a course at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) beginning April 16. Mission has thoroughly vetted both the candidate and his sub-unit and found no evidence of gross violations of human rights. The Department already cleared two members of this sub-unit on March 22, including the unit commander, to participate in USG training. Mission requests cable reply by April 10 in order to avoid cancellation of this training. END SUMMARY. MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CANDIDATE AND SUB-UNIT VET CLEAN ¶3. (C) The Indonesian military (TNI) nominated Major Iroth Sonny Edhie to participate in a APCSS course entitled "Comprehensive Security Responses to Terrorism" scheduled to take place April 16 through May 12. The candidate is currently assigned to Directorate B within Indonesia's Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS). Mission has completed vetting procedures in accordance with Department guidelines and determined that there is no credible evidence that the candidate or his BAIS sub-unit have committed gross human rights violations. ¶4. (C) Directorate B handles international affairs. Many Defense Attaches assigned to Indonesian Missions abroad, including the United States, come from this unit. English-language proficiency is a key component to APCSS courses and BAIS candidates tend to have high proficiency levels in this area compared with other elements of the Indonesian military. On March 22, the Department cleared two other candidates from this same unit, including the unit commander (see ref b). CANDIDATE AND UNIT INFORMATION ¶5. (C) Iroth Sonny Edhie, Major, Mid-ranking Assisting Officer, Directorate B Strategic Intelligence Agency, Jakarta; DOB: 15-July-1971, POB: Magelang, Indonesia; Male. --Unit: Directorate B, Strategic Intelligence Agency, Indonesian Armed Forces, Jakarta. ACTION REQUEST ¶6. (C) Mission requests that Department immediately approve the candidate for training and send the clearance cable so that he can arrive in time for the start of the APCSS course. TNI has recommended three additional BAIS officers for training in June. An inter-agency policy-level decision on BAIS vetting would assist us in handling this and future training requests. ¶7. (U) Mission point of contact is Political Officer Saad Bokhari, email: Bokhariss@state.gov, Phone: 62-21-3435-9707. HEFFERN