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Trump’s Indonesian Allies in Bed With ISIS-Backed FPI Militia Seek to Oust Elected President Jokowi

Allan Nairn

With an introduction by Peter Dale Scott


April 27, 2017
Volume 15 | Issue 9 | Number6

Introduction

The following important essay, by the respected and reliable journalist Allan Nairn, reports what Indonesian generals and others have told him of an army-backed movement to overthrow Indonesia’s civilian-led moderate constitutional government. Its thesis is alarming: that “Associates of Donald Trump in Indonesia have joined army officers and a vigilante street movement linked to ISIS in a campaign that ultimately aims to oust the country’s president… Joko Widodo (known more commonly as Jokowi).”

More recently a New York Times editorial, pointing to the electoral defeat on April 19 of Jakarta’s incumbent Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (or Ahok), has also expressed concern about the fate of Indonesia’s fragile democracy.1 But the threat perceived by the Times is that from “hard line Islamic groups” (many of them Saudi-funded), not that from the leaders (often U.S.-trained and financed) of the Indonesian army. The editorial reflects the fear of many scholars that traditional Indonesian Islam, relatively tolerant but unable to compete with Saudi wealth, may lose out to well-funded Salafi extremism. (Last October Margaret Scott warned in the New York Review of Books that it was “far-fetched” to think that Indonesia’s Islamic moderates “can stop Salafi recruitment, much less ISIS recruitment.”2)

Important in both narratives are the massive recent protests in Jakarta by Islamist thugs (preman) of the Islamic Defenders Front or FPI (Front Pembela Islam) that led to Ahok’s defeat.

The FPI was founded in 1998 with military and police backing, and at first served as the army’s proxy to beat up left-wing protesters at a time of transition in Indonesian politics.3 1998 was a key year: with the retirement of Suharto, the end of over three decades of “New Order” army dictatorship, and reforms (reformasi) that led to the army’s surrender of its domestic security function to a newly created civilian police force.

To others, the army’s connection to the FPI is less clear now than it was in 1998. At that time the connection was reminiscent of the army’s use, in its 1965 suppression of the Communist PKI, of paramilitary preman or thugs from its creation, the Pemuda Pancasila (Pancasila Youth). Eventually the FPI, initially financed by Police General Sutanto, began to be supported by funds from Saudi Arabia.4 As the FPI expanded, its makeup and policies became more diverse.

According to Nairn, the army still prevails:

In repeated, detailed conversations with me, the key protest figures and officials who track them have dismissed the movement against Ahok and the charges against him as a mere pretext for a larger objective: sidelining the country’s president, Jokowi, and helping the army avoid consequences for its mass killings of civilians — such as the 1965 massacres that were endorsed by the U.S. government, which armed and backed the Indonesian military.

Allan Nairn has been following and exposing the brutalities of the Indonesian Army (TNI) for decades. He has also been remarkably successful in gaining access to key figures, notably former General Prabowo Subianto, “a US trainee and protege … implicated in torture, kidnap and mass murder.”5 Prabowo in particular is a poster boy for America’s duplicitous policies in Indonesia. Congress cut off funds for training his Kopassus shock troops in 1991, after they murdered up to 270 protesters, including schoolchildren, at a peaceful demonstration in East Timor. But the Pentagon, undeterred, secretly continued the training under a Pentagon project called JCET (Joint Combined Education and Training).6

As Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command, KOSTRAD, Prabowo repressed the bloody 1998 Jakarta riots that led to the resignation of his then father-in-law Suharto. Prabowo was subsequently discharged from the TNI, after he acknowledged responsibility for the kidnapping of thirteen activists who “disappeared.”7 He then became a multibillionaire businessman, but also sought a political career. With the support of two pro-military parties he contested the 2014 election, losing narrowly in a runoff to the civilian populist Jokowi.

Underlying Nairn’s latest story is the desire of Prabowo, the TNI generals and their parties, to preserve what they can of their former privileges, in a new age of Reformasi as civilians like Jokowi nudge Indonesia slowly towards a more egalitarian future. Nairn’s chief source, Gen. Kivlan Zen, is a Prabowo ally and associate from KOSTRAD. Kivlan in turn points to the central role in the alleged “coup” plan of Prabowo’s 2014 campaign manager Fadli Zon, who as Nairn reports “is known for publicly praising Donald Trump and appeared with the candidate at a press conference at Trump Tower during the opening days of the [Trump] presidential campaign.”8

Given Nairn’s sterling press record, we can be confident that he has accurately reported what Kivlan and Admiral Ponto and others told him. What we can ask is the reason for their apparent candor: is it simply to reveal truth, or is it rather to restore the threatening image that the generals long used to maintain their influence? (As someone who has never been to Indonesia, I cannot say, but my main Indonesian source advises me not to trust Kivlan Zein “when he says anything.”)

It does seem clear that the Prabowo faction have reached out to Trump and taken heart from Trump’s election. Prabowo himself has boasted to Nairn about his excellent connections with the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency that was once headed by Trump’s now disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.9 And it is indeed telling that Fadli Zon, Prabowo’s contact with Trump, has been an active defender of the FPI and appeared with their leader in the FPI-led anti-Ahok demonstrations.

Americans should also be concerned that the Freeport-McMoRan Mining Company has engaged as attorney Munarman, an FPI spokesperson and former Commander of the FPI’s paramilitary group Laskar Islam. Historically Freeport has not been friendly to democracy in Indonesia. A declassified U.S. State Department cable reveals that by April 1965 (when Sukarno was still in power) Freeport Sulphur had reached a preliminary “arrangement” with unnamed Indonesian officials for what would become a multi-billion dollar investment in West Papua.10 Today Freeport is currently in a dispute with the Jokowi government, and reportedly may be “on the verge of losing what is arguably its most important asset, as Indonesia prepares to strip ownership from it of the massive Grasberg copper and gold mine.”11

Indonesia’s democracy is fragile, and its constitution will continue to be challenged by both generals and Islamists with foreign backing. But the complexity of Indonesia’s pluralist society, which makes it difficult for democracy to function smoothly, also makes it difficult to overthrow it. So many conflicting forces are at work. As Nairn points out, Jokowi’s military defender, Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono, (former BIN chief and CIA asset), has also been implicated in major crimes.

We should not forget that in 2014 Allen Nairn posted a warning similar to his present one, that Indonesia's army special forces (Kopassus) and the state intelligence agency (BIN) are involved in a covert operation … designed to ensure that the July 9 [2014] vote count will be won by General Prabowo Subianto, the former Kopassus commander who was a longtime protege of the Pentagon and US intelligence.12

Nairn’s warning then was well documented. But Jokowi won.

We in America should pursue what Nairn’s current essay has to tell us about Trump’s global alliance in Indonesia. Elsewhere he has reminded us that after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 there were actually presented, at the White House and at Camp David, proposals for a US Special Forces attack on Indonesia. The idea was for a dramatic strike to send a message to the Muslim world. It would involve simultaneous moves against Indonesia and other countries.13

No such attack was launched. But if such ideas could be discussed in the presence of George W. Bush, what may not be contemplated in Donald Trump’s call to fight “Islamic terrorism all over the world”?

Peter Dale Scott

In Indonesia, a Trump-Army-pro-Isis Alliance?

Allan Nairn

Associates of Donald Trump in Indonesia have joined army officers and a vigilante street movement linked to ISIS in a campaign that ultimately aims to oust the country’s president. According to Indonesian military and intelligence officials and senior figures involved in what they call “the coup,” the move against President Joko Widodo (known more commonly as Jokowi), a popular elected civilian, is being impelled from behind the scenes by active and retired generals.

Prominent supporters of the coup movement include Fadli Zon, vice speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives and Donald Trump’s main political booster in the country; and Hary Tanoe, Trump’s primary Indonesian business partner, who is building two Trump resorts, one in Bali and one outside Jakarta.

This account of the movement to overthrow President Jokowi is based on dozens of interviews and is supplemented by internal army, police, and intelligence documents I obtained or viewed in Indonesia, as well as by NSA intercepts obtained by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Many sources on both sides of the coup spoke on condition of anonymity. Two of them expressed apparently well-founded concerns about their safety.

The Coup Movement

On the surface, the massive street protests surrounding the April 19 gubernatorial election have arisen from opposition to Jakarta’s ethnic Chinese incumbent governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok. As a result of pressure from the well-funded, well-organized demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of thousands — perhaps millions — to Jakarta’s streets, Gov. Ahok is currently standing trial for religious blasphemy because of an offhand comment about a verse in the Quran. On Thursday, the day after he hears the results of the very close governor’s election, he is due back in court for his blasphemy trial.

[...]

For the full article, please visit below links:

The Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus 27 April 2017
http://apjjf.org/2017/09/Nairn.html

PDF Version: http://apjjf.org/-Allan-Nairn--Peter-Dale-Scott/5034/article.pdf

Cross-posted at: http://www.globalresearch.ca/trumps...seek-to-oust-elected-president-jokowi/5588694
 
Some one with rights to delete post just removed my earlier, tidier, complete post on this article a couple of days ago silently without any notification.

And gave no reason why it should be deleted.
 
Thats why we are fighting radicalism in Indonesia.

ISIS can be used because some of Indonesian moslem are radicals, hence they can buy radicals mindset and khalifah system which is not suitable for Indonesia, and these radicals are potential to disrupt our country.
 
Going to be tough. Seem like radicals planning to turn indo back into a fascist state.
These fenatics are genocidal, they will try to cleanse the country of people who are not in line with their ideology.
Indonesia should take this threat seriously and should monitor the activities of all suspicious individuals.
 
These fenatics are genocidal, they will try to cleanse the country of people who are not in line with their ideology.
Indonesia should take this threat seriously and should monitor the activities of all suspicious individuals.

That is a speculation, it may or may not happen in Indonesia but what is happening in modi's india is no speculation. So, I think before worrying about extremism abroad, tackle it it at home.
 
That is a speculation, it may or may not happen in Indonesia but what is happening in modi's india is no speculation. So, I think before worrying about extremism abroad, tackle it it at home.
Yes, India is tackling ISIS and it's affiliates very nicely. Indonesia should not worry about Modi's India but it should definately worry about ISIS and it's spread throughout the Islamic countries.
 
Only thing I'm interested in, which side would be more favorable to China?
Talk with money :D:D win-win interests... for all other things are deeply seated to some powerful elements in the much diversified country, both the military and religious ones, long in history, can not be hanged on. The Empire's giant tentacle reaches incl. the famous alphabet agency have been quite successful in influencing all aspects of life in Indonesia incl its media in the past, present, and in future! Moreover the Japan's clutch over its former colony is well positioned and entrenched. Folks have to trust into the Japan's refined and cunning ways in securing its huge and dominant economic positions & resource interests there through various methods, incl. the tricky ones :D any one who ever visits this country for weeks will get some senses of such influences.

Being so central geographically in the Malacca Strait, Indonesian Islands have been becoming the easy prey and victimized region since many centuries ago, being stormed by foreign invasions as long as the subcontinent India had suffered! If India had the British East India Company (EIC) then Indonesia had the Dutch Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC, or simply Dutch East India Company in English), while India had app. 370 years under British then Indonesia had app. 350 years under Dutch... both countries had quite similar path of destiny. Even the name of INA currency, Rupiah, is derived from the IND currency, Rupee ==> Rupiah = Rupee of Hindia (the word "Hindia" was used by the western colonialists in the past to refer to the "East India", namely those islands that are located in the Southeast Asia. Hindia itself is a geographical term borrowed from India. Then carried on into the modern era post-World War II, it became the operation field of the CIA just like in the many parts of the world, read it here and here... and one better firmly believes that the grip still prevails until the present time...

China will be more successful by dealing from position of strength, means an even stronger and prosperous China will be more convincing as well as compelling for the counter-party like Indonesia to deal with. Being realistic and pragmatic should be helpful!
 
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Yes, India is tackling ISIS and it's affiliates very nicely. Indonesia should not worry about Modi's India but it should definately worry about ISIS and it's spread throughout the Islamic countries.

India is not tackling RSS, the Hindu version of the Daesh.
 
India is not tackling RSS, the Hindu version of the Daesh.
What does RSS got to do with Indonesia?RSS is not a global terror organization, whereas ISIS is!
Discuss about tacking the real global menace of ISIS and it's affiliates rather than derailing this thread.
 
What does RSS got to do with Indonesia?RSS is not a global terror organization, whereas ISIS is!
Discuss about tacking the real global menace of ISIS and it's affiliates rather than derailing this thread.

You cannot talk about global terrorism as a curse while encouraging terrorists at home who target minorities.
 
You cannot talk about global terrorism as a curse while encouraging terrorists at home who target minorities.
That's an illogical statement. Why are you targeting me personally?
I don't support RSS or any other stupid religious fenatics.
And why can't I talk about global extremism if I vehemently opposed it?
 
Only thing I'm interested in, which side would be more favorable to China?

you want my honest answer?

a democratically elected Indonesian government is good for Indonesia China relationships. As for the last decades had been prove for such statements, as every civil administration always seek to maintain balance between the two power USA and China .

Meanwhile, authoritarian Dictatorial Indonesia (as history has showed) usually will lean toward militarism backed by the armed forces and several fad right religious parties, and Indonesian military being dominated by the Army who most of their ranking officer had Nationalist near chauvinist tendency sentiments and lean toward US of A pragmatism and conservative value. So your gov. should know why stable democratically elect Indonesian gov. will be good for them.
 

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