VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #0955/01 1350412
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140412Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8996
INFO RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000955 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR CA/ACS/OCS/EAP, EAP/MTS, AND DS/DSS 
DOJ FOR AAG SCHWARTZ 
 
FROM CDA HEFFERN TO ACTING A/S JACOBS, A/S HILL, S/CT COORDINATOR 
DAILEY AND ACTING A/S STARR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC AEMR ASEC PREL AMGT ID
 
SUBJECT: LIFTING THE TRAVEL WARNING FOR INDONESIA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Ambassador Hume and the Embassy Country Team 
unanimously believe the time has come to lift the travel warning for 
Indonesia.  Given the government of Indonesia's strong efforts to 
combat terrorism - and the fact that there has not been a major 
terrorist incident since October 2005 - we think that the language 
in the Worldwide Caution adequately describes the security situation 
in Indonesia.  We recommend using the planned June 8-10 visit of 
Attorney General Michael Mukasey to announce the lifting of the 
travel warning.  We believe there is no single action which would 
have a more positive impact on our bilateral relations nor which 
would better position us to seek increased counterterrorism 
cooperation from Indonesia.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Since Ambassador Hume's arrival last July, we have been 
carefully evaluating the security situation in Indonesia and 
reflecting on whether our Embassy assessment of the security risk 
matches the information we provide the public through our Country 
Specific Information and travel warning.  The Country Team no longer 
believes that the security situation warrants a separate, 
country-specific travel warning.  According to the State website, 
travel warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted 
conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable.  Indonesia 
today does not meet that standard. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The State Department first issued a travel warning - at 
this Embassy's recommendation - in November 2000, at a time when 
Jakarta and Medan had been hit by a series of bombings, "sweeps" for 
American tourists had taken place in Solo in Central Java, and the 
Indonesian government had restricted official travel to Aceh, Papua 
and the Moluccas.  The decision to issue a travel warning made sense 
then.  And the maintenance of the warning in the wake of September 
11 and the series of terrorist attacks in Bali and Jakarta between 
2003 and 2005 was appropriate. 
 
¶4. (SBU) But the security situation in Indonesia is far different 
today.  Given its size and population, there is always the potential 
for political violence and civil unrest due to ethnic, sectarian, 
religious and separatist reasons.  But there has not been a major 
terrorist incident since October 2005.  The government's impressive 
counterterrorism efforts have diminished the ability of radical 
groups to carry out attacks.  The police have scored several major 
successes in breaking up terrorist cells linked to Jemaah Islamiya 
and other extremist organizations, arresting approximately 400 
terrorists and convicting over 250.  The Indonesian legal system has 
successfully prosecuted and punished terrorists.  And the Ministry 
of Law and Human Rights no longer allows automatic sentence 
remissions for terrorists on major holidays.  The security situation 
is safe enough that the UN and Indonesia hosted the COP-13 Climate 
Change Conference in Bali in 2007.  Over 10,000 delegates took part 
in the conference, which came off with no incidents. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Of course security risks remain.  We have to assume Jemaah 
Islamiyah networks and cells exist and have the capacity to go 
operational with little warning.  Moreover, Malaysian operative 
Noordin Mohammed Top remains at large, despite his engagement in 
nearly every major terrorist attack in Indonesia since 2002. 
Despite these continuing risks, we believe that the language of the 
current Worldwide Caution, combined with more detailed information 
in the Country Specific Information for Indonesia, adequately 
describes the security situation.  The Worldwide Caution states, 
"The Department of State remains concerned about the continued 
threat of terrorist attacks, demonstration and other violent actions 
against U.S. citizens and interests overseas."  The Embassy will 
propose changes to our Country Specific Information and the Overseas 
Security Advisory Council report by Monday, May 19, to ensure that 
the security language in all our public documents is consistent and 
congruent with the threat rating in the Security Environment Threat 
List. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Lifting the travel warning makes sense on the merits and 
accurately reflects the reality here.  There is no single action 
which would have a more positive impact on our bilateral relations. 
Ending the travel warning would give us the opportunity to recognize 
Indonesia's improved efforts at countering terrorism and give us the 
credibility to encourage further steps.  It would also pave the way 
for more U.S. trade, investment, cultural and education links; many 
U.S. businesses and institutions do not allow their executives to 
travel to countries with travel warnings.  And it would allow 
Indonesia to further develop its substantial tourism potential, 
providing additional economic security to a country that relies too 
heavily on commodities. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Embassy Jakarta recommends that the Department agree to end 
the travel warning for Indonesia before the planned June 8-10 visit 
to Jakarta by Attorney General Michael Mukasey.  We also recommend 
that the Attorney General make the announcement during his visit, 
pointing to Indonesia's success at combating terrorism and 
highlighting our hope that this success will lead to greater U.S. 
trade and investment and increased numbers of tourists and scholars 
visiting Indonesia. 
 
 
HEFFERN