VZCZCXRO3675
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1156 1890956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080956Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2775
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001156 
 
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: SAO--URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED IN VISA CLEARANCE 
FOR IMPORTANT MUSLIM LEADER 
 
REF: JAKARTA 1148 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an Action Request.  See paragraph 3. 
 
¶2.  (U) Mission in reftel requested the Department's urgent 
assistance in securing Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) 
clearance for Hidayat Nur Wahid to travel to the United 
States.  Nur Wahid is Chairman of the People's Consultative 
Assembly (MPR), a position equivalent to that of the U.S. 
Senate Majority Leader.  Nur Wahid is also one of the most 
senior Muslim leaders in Indonesia and former president of 
the country's largest Islamic-based political party.  Nur 
Wahid is leading a delegation traveling to Washington to meet 
with U.S. Representatives David Price and David Dreier, 
Co-Chairs of the House Democracy Assistance Commission 
(HDAC).  We stress that securing his visa is of utmost 
importance to USG bilateral relations with Indonesia and 
would be seen as a serious insult to one of Indonesia's most 
respected Muslim leaders should it not be approved 
immediately. 
 
¶3.  (U) ACTION REQUEST:  Mission again requests the 
Department's immediate assistance in securing SAO clearance 
for Hidayat Nur Wahid.  Nur Wahid expects to finalize his 
travel on July 8.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
HUME