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US Ambassador Gone Out of Line: Indonesian Senior Minister
The United States Ambassador Robert S. Gelbard had gone out of line by making an assessment of the way the Indonesian police are dealing with anti-American demonstrations, Indonesian senior minister told reporters Saturday.
"He (Gelbard) should never have made the statement that Indonesia or our National Police is not capable," Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono was quoted by the Antara News Agency as saying.
Gelbard on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the Indonesian police's failure to protect Americans and their assets.
The minister said it was normal for Gelbard to request intensified security. But his statement that the police had failed to give protection was an overreaction.
The Indonesian police, Susilo said, had to follow the laws, regulations, and a long-established mechanism in handling demonstrations. The force would not take action against protesters as long as they did not violate the laws.
Susilo said he was convinced the police had made all possible efforts to secure foreign nationals and facilities, including those of the U.S.
"Therefore, please trust the Indonesian government in terms of the police to carry out their duties professionally," he said.
On the other hand, Susilo called on the National Police to do their job in very careful ways and not underestimate the possibility of violence.
Numerous cities, including Jakarta, have seen waves of anti- American demonstrations, following reports that the U.S. government was planning to conduct military strikes at Afghanistan in search of Osama bin Laden, Washington's prime suspect in the September 11 devastating attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C.
A militant Muslim group has threatened to conduct "sweeping" operations against U.S. nationals if the U.S. carried out its plan to attack Afghanistan.
With more than 85 percent of its 220 million-plus population embracing Islam, Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic nation.
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