VZCZCXRO2626
OO RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHHM RUEHROV
DE RUEHJA #0427/01 0630437
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 030437Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8198
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES  PRIORITY
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RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2104
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RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2469
RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 0609
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
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RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000427 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, DS, EAP/RSP 
NSC FOR E.PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ID
SUBJECT: COUNTERTERRORISM -- MULTILATERAL CTAG MEETING IN 
JAKARTA 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Japanese Embassy hosted a regular 
Counterterrorism Assistance Group (CTAG) meeting in Jakarta 
on February 26.  Participants reviewed their assistance to 
the GOI in the CT area, focusing on the programs of some of 
the smaller countries, which also provide meaningful 
assistance.  The wide-ranging discussion also touched on GOI 
deradicalization efforts and community policing.  The group 
will meet again later this year.  END SUMMARY. 
 
A REGULAR CTAG MEETING 
 
¶2.  (C) The Japanese Embassy hosted a regular meeting of CTAG 
members on February 26.  (Note:  The German Embassy hosted 
the previous CTAG meeting in June 2007.).  The meeting 
included representatives from Australia, Canada, the European 
Commission, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, 
the United Kingdom and the United States.  Due to the visit 
of its Foreign Minister to Jakarta, Germany was absent, but 
submitted an assistance summary.  The group will meet again 
later this year. 
 
REVIEWING BILATERAL ASSISTANCE 
 
¶3.  (C) CTAG members reviewed the latest on their 
governments' bilateral CT assistance programs with the GOI. 
They also agreed to continue working closely with other 
members to coordinate assistance in order to reduce any 
duplication of effort. 
 
¶4.  (C) Two key aspects of current assistance concentrated on 
community policing and support for the Jakarta Center for Law 
Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) in Semarang, Central Java. 
The Japanese, French and Australians described substantial 
programs focused on training the INP in community policing 
concepts.  (Note:  Local police chiefs throughout the country 
have emphasized to poloff the success of these programs, 
especially in Central Java and Central Sulawesi.) 
 
¶5.  (C) Most CTAG members also reported some form of 
cooperation with JCLEC, a regional training facility 
established and run by the Australian government in 
cooperation with Indonesian authorities.  JCLEC was 
particularly useful as a way for countries with smaller 
assistance budgets to contribute usefully to the CT effort. 
Italy and Switzerland, for example, had provided CT trainers 
in crime scene investigation and financial crimes 
investigation to the JCLEC facility.  (Note:  The U.S., 
Australian and Canadian Embassies will host a conference 
bringing together Indonesian police, prosecutors, judges and 
prison officials to discuss CT issues March 11-13 at JCLEC.) 
 
DERADICALIZATION EFFORTS 
 
¶6.  (C) After the bilateral assistance review, the GOJ 
representative discussed the view that what was left of the 
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network was based predominantly in 
Central Java, Central Sulawesi and Ambon (South Maluku) in 
eastern Indonesia.  Poverty, low economic development and 
poor education standards heightened the appeal of radical 
Islam in these areas, the Japanese remarked.  U.S., 
Australian and Canadian participants agreed that addressing 
these factors could help to undercut terrorist recruitment. 
 
¶7.  (C) The Japanese also emphasized the GOI view that 
terrorism is a crime and not a religious act.  GOI public 
 
JAKARTA 00000427  002 OF 002 
 
 
campaigns sought to delink religion from terrorism, 
portraying terrorism as a violent act against all people and 
one which could not be justified in any way under the guise 
of religion.  The GOI was asking moderate Muslim leaders to 
emphasize to their communities that the use of violence for 
religious ends could not be tolerated.  Participants agreed 
that the Indonesian government approach in this area made 
sense. 
 
¶8.  (C) The group also shared information on the GOI's 
de-radicalization efforts, particularly those of the 
Indonesian National Police (INP) to re-educate terrorists in 
custody.  The CTAG felt the INP concept was good but 
insufficiently developed as of this point.  Of nearly 400 
terrorists captured since 2002, only a small number had 
publicly denounced terrorism. 
 
¶9.  (C) Participants also noted that once terrorists entered 
the prison system, they came back into contact with radical 
elements, sometimes undoing the INP's efforts.  Until a 
comprehensive approach by police and prison officials was 
adopted, the INP's deradicalization approach--which did have 
some promise--would probably continue to show limited 
results.  U.S. and Australian participants reported that 
their governments were reviewing prison reform and 
encouraging Indonesia to expose terrorists to moderate 
religious teachings while they were serving their sentences. 
 
 
HUME