Indonesia and Australia could create joint anti-terror agency

2011-04-06 06:32:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Indonesian and Australian defense forces are analyzing the possibility of creating a joint anti-terror coordinating body to fight terrorism, Indonesia's Antara news agency said Tuesday.

Indonesian Army's Special Force (Kopassus) spokesperson Lt Colonel Thevi underlined that cooperation with Australia's elite Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) have had successful bilateral projects with joint training programs and exchanges of officers have been carried out with positive results.

With Australian Defense Attache Colonel John Gould and Australia's Intelligence School chief Lt Colonel Justin Roke's recent visit to the Kopassus headquarters, which is located in East Jakarta, Thevi stated that another form of the expanded cooperation scopes being explored between the two countries is the setting up of an anti-terror coordinating agency for the countries' elite forces.

Thevi also mentioned that Kopassus and the SASR are looking into the possibilities of cooperating on technical and psychological operations.

Currently, Kopassus is planning to form a Special Operation Command similar to Australia's Special Operation Command or the Soccom.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-04-06

I wonder how accountable such a new unit would be, and what limits would be set? The Kopassus doesn't exactly have the best reputation.

And they spent a fair bit of time trying to kill Australian troops in East Timor. And now we are training them? Brilliant.

And they spent a fair bit of time trying to kill Australian troops in East Timor. And now we are training them? Brilliant.

'Anti-terror agency' Perhaps Australia supply the Auntie and Indonesia supply the Terror.

However, better the devil you know... and all that. Australian governments have a difficult balancing act with Indonesia, and need to keep them on side, to be aware of potential extremists, but at the same time be aware of human rights issues as in East Timor. The history of the loose 'alliance' is fairly murky, and probably will remain that way where special forces are concerned. Long may Australian technical expertise rule, as the size of the Indonesian Army is a bit worrying.