Jakarta (Antara) - A political and intelligence analyst is of the view that Indonesia must improve its counter-intelligence program to respond to cases like the recent wiretapping conducted by foreign parties on its officials, especially its head of state. "In line with the technological progress of wiretapping, spying as well as counter-spying are common. The only way to deal with it is to be ready to conduct counter-spying when they spy on us," retired army Major General Glenny Kairupan M.Sc said in an interview with Antara on Wednesday. Australia's Sydney Morning Herald and the British newspaper The Guardian had reported on Monday the alleged wiretapping conducted on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and several other officials by the Australian intelligence. According to Australia radio, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's had uploaded on its website intelligence documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a former U.S. National Security Agency contract worker. These were obtained and also reported by the Guardian on Monday and revealed that Australia had bugged telephone conversations of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as well as other Indonesian high-ranking officials in 2009. Based on the information, Australian intelligence agencies had tapped the President's conversations at least once. The Australian intelligence also tracked the President's cell phone for 15 days in August 2009, the data for which had originated from Australia's Defense Signal Directorate, which has now been changed to the Australia Signals Directorate. The wiretapping activities since 2007 were not only aimed at the President, but also at those in his inner circle, such as First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono and former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, then Presidential Spokesman Dino Patti Djalal and then Minister Andi Mallarangeng. Australia also wiretapped the then Minister/State Secretary Hatta Radjasa, the then Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, the then Coordinating minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Widodo A.S. and then Minister of State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil. Glenny Kairupan, a former officer at the Directorate B dealing with Foreign Affairs of the then Armed Forces' Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), stated that in view of these incidents, Indonesia must boost the counter-intelligence programs followed by its intelligence agencies. "We cannot isolate ourselves anymore. Moreover, in principle all technological equipment that transmits information through air has the potential of being tapped, let alone the one that uses cables," he pointed out. He further stated that there was nothing new with regards to wiretapping and that its occurrence was also related to past incidents. Glenny referred to the Permesta upheaval, where a Hawk flying from the Philippines had been accommodated in Darwin, Australia. He explained that when the idea of ASEAN cooperation was first raised, although it was aimed at cultural and economic cooperation, it was also formed to deter Australia from becoming a power like NATO. "We also know Australia is the right hand man of the United States in the Pacific," Glenny said. In the case of East Papua or Papua New Guinea, Australia had so far acted as a "godfather" to that country and treated it as a brother so that its people felt more comfortable than those living in West Papua. "The essence is that Australia does not physically colonize, it but it has become its (Papua New Guniea's) godfather," he noted. A similar situation had arisen in connection with the East Timor case, which is now Timor Leste, he said. Glenny pointed out that many Portuguese and people of mixed blood had been accommodated in Australia after "Australia conducted monitoring in East Timor for over 21 years." He said Australia's role was also evident in Australian Major General Peter Cosgrove being appointed as commander of the International Force for East Timor (Interfet). The Interfet was a non-United Nations (UN) multi-national peacekeeping force, set up and led by Australia in line with a UN resolution to overcome a humanitarian crisis and secure East Timor from 1999 to 2000, until the arrival of a UN peacekeeping force, Glenny said. He added that there were a lot of other cases, which amply demonstrated that Australia would always see Indonesia as a security threat. "In essence, they think that if Indonesia is not 'protected' it will be dangerous in view of Trikora, Dwikore, Seroja and other operations. That is why they are very concerned about Indonesia," Glenny said. (*)

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