VZCZCXRO3085
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1148 1881133
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071133Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2766
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, CA/FO, CA/VO/L/C (GREG BEER) 
NSC FOR J. BADER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL CVIS KISL ID
SUBJECT: KEY INDONESIAN OFFICIAL FACING SAO DIFFICULTIES 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 2234 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 2087 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: Mission requires the Department's urgent 
assistance in securing Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) 
clearance for a senior GOI official and prominent Islamic 
leader who hopes to travel to Washington for meetings with 
House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) Co-Chairs 
Congressman David Price and Congressman David Dreier.  The 
applicant's position is equivalent to that the of U.S. Senate 
Majority Leader.  Facilitating this travel is a United States 
priority.  As reftels have outlined, this is one of a series 
of difficulties we have had with the SAO process for key 
Indonesian officials.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Mission requests the Department's urgent assistance 
in securing interagency SAO clearance for Mr. Hidayat Nur 
Wahid to travel to the United States on July 12 as part of a 
GOI delegation.  Nur Wahid expects to finalize his travel on 
July 8.  During this visit, he has scheduled meetings with 
House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) Co-Chairs 
Congressman David Price and Congressman David Dreier.  These 
meetings are part of an ongoing HDAC parliamentary reform 
effort underway with the Indonesian Parliament.  Nur Wahid is 
Chairman of the People's Consultative Party (MPR), a position 
equivalent to that of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry 
Reid's position.  Nur Wahid, the most senior member of the 
delegation, is the only one awaiting SAO clearance.  Nur 
Wahid is also a prominent Muslim leader and former president 
of the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). 
 
¶3.  (U) Consular NIV Chief Elizabeth Perry sent particulars 
of Nur Wahid by email in an expedite request to Greg Beer in 
CA/VO. 
 
¶4.  (U) Reforming parliament and building cooperative links 
between the GOI and the USG is a key USG priority here. 
Additionally, Nur Wahid is a senior member of the largest 
Islamic-based party in Indonesia.  As we work to improve 
relations with the Muslim world, it is of utmost importance 
to facilitate the travel of such an influential Muslim 
leader.  The difficulties Nur Wahid is having with the SAO 
process threaten progress on these important objectives. 
This is not the first time the SAO process has created 
difficulties for senior GOI officials, as noted in reftel. 
Mission requests that the Department work urgently to address 
this problem. 
HUME