B. JAKARTA 5705 (IRANIAN ENGAGEMENT WITH DPR)
C. 2005 JAKARTA 10107 (Q2 BIO TIDBITS)

Classified By: Political Officer David R. Greenberg, reason 1.4 (d).

SUMMARY
-------

1. (S/NF) Notes on Yudhoyono's inner circle... Notional
uranium sale to Iran dead... Ba'asyir lawyer tied to State
Intelligence Agency figure... Rumors VP Kalla flirted with
figures hoping to topple Yudhoyono... Influencing judges in
court case involving the National Awakening Party...
Snapshots of political concerns of Wiranto, Prabowo, and
Amien Rais... This cable is the latest in a series that has
provided political tidbits and rumors, rather than more
developed information. Most of the gossip stems from single
but well-placed sources. End Summary.

YUDHOYONO'S INNER CIRCLE SEEN AS MOSTLY MILITARY FIGURES
--------------------------------------------- -----------

2. (C) Various contacts have claimed that Yudhoyono's
innermost circle currently consists primarily of active duty
or retired military figures. Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi
is the figure most well known as a close associate of
Yudhoyono. Presidential Secretary Kurdi Mustofa and T.B.
Silalahi, Special Advisor to the President, are also commonly
seen by politicians as figures with good access to Yudhoyono.
Names we have heard recently which are not widely seen as
close to Yudhoyono include Yasin, associated with the
National Defense Council (Dewan Pertahanan Nasional); Irvan
Edison; Bambang Tedjo; and Sardan Marbun.

3. (C) According to a Golkar figure with close ties to the
security forces, retired General Syamsir Siregar
(subsequently appointed as head of the State Intelligence
Agency) and Yasin played a key role in using the Armed Forces
territorial command as a network to promote the Democratic
Party (PD) and Yudhoyono's presidential candidacy in the 2004
elections. (Comment: Many political figures found it hard to
explain the success of PD in the 2004 elections, since PD was
new, weak, and inexperienced. These political figures
assumed that Yudhoyono and his team must have used a network
better established than PD's -- that of the Armed Forces --
to get out the vote. While this perception is not uncommon
in political circles, we have not found credible evidence or
highly specific allegations of such activity by the military
in 2004's elections. End Comment.)

IRANIAN URANIUM DEAL DEAD
-------------------------

4. (C) Dave Laksono, a key political operator of House of
Representatives Chairman Agung Laksono, told us in early June
that the possible deal to sell Indonesian uranium ore to Iran
reported in ref B was "dead."

BA'ASYIR LAWYER CONNECTED TO BIN DEPUTY CHIEF
---------------------------------------------

5. (S/NF) State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Chairman Yahya
Asagaf told us that he had met one of Jemaah Islamiyah Emir
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir's lawyers in the office of BIN Deputy
Chief As'at. Yahya claimed the lawyer -- an ethnic Arab
named Al-Waini (phonetic) -- was "As'at's man," implying that
Al-Waini provided inside information to As'at.

KALLA SCHEMING TO TOPPLE SBY?
-----------------------------

6. (S/NF) Roy Janis, a former high-ranking official of the
Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDI-P) and a former
close associate of former First Gentleman Taufik Kiemas, told
us in mid-May that Vice President Kalla had begun meeting
Taufik Kiemas on a weekly basis for a period of months. Roy
claimed that Kalla had offered to engineer the installation
of Megawati as his Vice President if Yudhoyono were forced
from office by mass protests, and Kalla were to become
President. According to Roy, Megawati rejected this offer,
and the ensuing plan became for Taufik Kiemas to become
Kalla's nominee for Vice President. (Note: Roy provided this
information at a time when there was a widespread perception
that PDI-P was sponsoring demonstrations in early May. End
Note.)

7. (C) When we subsequently asked presidential advisor T.B.
Silalahi about this rumor, T.B. expressed strong doubt that

Kalla was collaborating with Taufik Kiemas. We also asked
PDI-P Secretary General Pramono Anung about the reported
meetings between Kalla and Taufik. Pramono claimed no such
meetings had taken place. The primary channel for
communication between PDI-P and Golkar (which Kalla chairs)
was between Pramono and Golkar Secretary General Soemarsono.
(More on Soemarsono below.) Pramono said in early June that
three such meetings between them had taken place, to discuss
cooperation between the two parties. Pramono noted that he
expected Kalla might meet with PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri in the near future.

PKB BUYS FAVORABLE COURT VERDICT
--------------------------------

8. (C) People sympathetic to National Awakening Party (PKB)
overlord Abdurrahman Wahid (aka Gus Dur) paid judges three
billion Rupiah (approximately 322,000 USD, at current
exchange rates) in bribe money in order to secure a spring
2006 court verdict that awarded control of PKB to Gus Dur
instead of party dissidents. This story came from Sierad
President Director Eko Sandjojo (strictly protect), who also
has close ties to PKB. Eko claimed he knew this information
because prominent lawyer Soesilo Aribowo, who also works for
Eko (or Sierad) had channeled the money to the judges.

SUDI'S ROLE IN COURT MEDDLING CONFIRMED
---------------------------------------

9. (C) In a June meeting, PKB Deputy Secretary General Yenny
Wahid (strictly protect) confirmed to us that the close
Yudhoyono associate who had pressured a judge to rule against
Gus Dur's side in the aforementioned case (as reported in ref
A) was indeed Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi. Yenny claimed
that, subsequent to our earlier conversation, Sudi, in
discussion with a top PKB legislator, had virtually confirmed
the judge's allegation.

WIRANTO WORRIES ABOUT INTEL REPORTS
-----------------------------------

10. (C/NF) Presidential advisor T.B. Silalahi told us in mid
June that 2004 presidential candidate Wiranto had complained
to him about BIN reports portraying him (Wiranto) in a
derogatory light. T.B. indicated to us that his reply to
Wiranto implied -- but did not explicitly state -- no such
reports existed. (Note: Ref C reported complaints by a
Wiranto associate that BIN Chief Syamsir Siregar
characterized Wiranto as a "terrorist mastermind" during a
cabinet meeting. End Note.) In a parenthetical remark, T.B.
noted that President Yudhoyono shared the most sensitive BIN
reporting on political matters only with himself and Cabinet
Secretary Sudi Silalahi.

SIPDIS

11. (C) Close Wiranto associate General (ret) Suaidi
Marasabessy told us recently that he could envision numerous
scenarios in which a major political party might nominate
Wiranto for the presidency in 2009. Possible parties
included PDI-P (in which case Wiranto might run with Taufik
Kiemas as his Vice President), the Prosperous Justice Party
(PKS), and Golkar. (Citing discontent within Golkar's ranks,
Suaidi told us pressure might build for a Golkar
Extraordinary Party Congress, which could bring about a
change of leadership.) (Comment: These strike us as
extremely low probability scenarios, but numerous contacts
claim Wiranto remains strongly interested in running again
for the presidency, so his loyalists may well be grasping at
straws. End Comment.)

PRABOWO EYEING PRESIDENCY, HIDING THAI GIRLFRIEND
--------------------------------------------- ----

12. (C) Former Special Forces commander Prabowo Subianto
often takes commercial flights to Bangkok to visit a Thai
girlfriend who lives there, according to Golkar Deputy
Treasurer Poempida Hidayatulloh (strictly protect), who
formerly had a close relationship with Prabowo. Poempida
claimed that Prabowo had established a business venture for
this woman, and the couple was close enough that they would
marry if Prabowo were not worried about how having a foreign
wife might affect his lingering presidential ambitions.
(Note: Prabowo competed unsuccessfully for Golkar's
presidential nomination in 2004. End Note.)

AMIEN PONDERING 2009
--------------------

13. (C) Former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman
Amien Rais is keeping his options open for a presidential run

in 2009, according to National Mandate Party legislator Alvin
Lie, who has direct access to Amien. Alvin noted Amien --
who finished fourth in 2004's election -- was realistic and
would not run if his prospects were poor. However, Alvin
also claimed that Amien might be pushed by his wife, an
extremely ambitious woman who wields significant influence
over Amien's decisions.

TOMY WINATA SEEKING INFLUENCE
-----------------------------

14. (C/NF) Dave Laksono told us presidential advisor T.B.
Silalahi functioned as a middleman, relaying funds from Tomy
to President Yudhoyono, protecting Yudhoyono from the
potential liabilities that could arise if Yudhoyono were to
deal with Tomy directly. (Comment: Dave Laksono did not
provide a specific time frame for this information. Because
T.B. was well known as a patron of Tomy's, such rumors have
circulated since the 2004 election campaign. Other contacts
have told us that, during the 2004 election, T.B., who is
Christian, was the principal channel for funds to Yudhoyono's
campaign from the predominantly Christian Chinese community;
Tomy is a Christian Indonesian of Chinese descent. End
Comment.)

15. (C/NF) State Intelligency Agency (BIN) official Yahya
Asagaf told us that Tomy Winata was trying to cultivate
influence by using Presidential Secretary Kurdi Mustofa as
his channel to First Lady Kristiani Herawati. A contact from
the Golkar party told us that, during the 2004 campaign, Tomy
also had sought to use Muhammad Lutfi (now Chairman of the
Investment Coordination Board) as a channel of funding to
Yudhoyono's campaign.

16. (C) A contact from political circles claimed to have
reliable information that representatives of Tomy Winata had
requested permission from BIN Chief Syamsir Siregar to
"attack" a residence of the son of former Vice President
Hamzah Haz, who reportedly failed to repay money borrowed
from Tomy. According to this account, Syamsir vetoed the
proposed action. Multiple sources have told us that Syamsir
views Tomy with disdain.

17. (C) Well-connected political activist Hariman Siregar
told us that National Police Chief Sutanto and prominent
police General Gores Mere felt antipathetic toward Tomy
Winata. Hariman said that Sutanto and Gores saw Tomy as
closely allied with Da'i Bachtiar, Sutanto's predecessor and
presumably still a rival for influence within the police
community.

PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR DISAPPOINTED WITH POLICE CHIEF
--------------------------------------------- ------

18. (C) Presidential advisor T.B. Silalahi told us in June
that he was disappointed with the performance of National
Police Chief Sutanto. T.B. claimed that Sutanto had
performed well in previous positions, but as National Police
Chief, he had begun to receive unsolicited offers of support
for a presidential run. (Earlier this year, Amien Rais
publicly stated Sutanto would make a good President.) Such
offers had altered Sutanto's priorities and made him more
timid, T.B. said. (Comment: Many other political figures see
Sutanto as doing a good job, and he still receives high marks
from our police and NGO contacts. To date, Sutanto also has
provided stronger support than his predecessor for our
bilateral programs. It is possible that Sutanto's alleged
antipathy toward Tomy Winata -- see above -- colors T.B.'s
view. End Comment.)

PKB PERSPECTIVE ON UPCOMING PPP CONGRESS
----------------------------------------

19. (C) PKB Deputy Secretary General Yenny Wahid told us in
June that, of the potential candidates for the chairmanship
of the United Development Party (PPP), due to hold its Party
Congress in 2007, PKB had the closest relationship to Endin
Soefihara, currently PPP's Faction Chairman in the DPR.
Yenny worried aloud that Hasyim Muzadi's possible effort to
win the party chairmanship could split the Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU) faction of PPP (between Hasyim and Endin), opening the
door to a figure from the rival PARMUSI faction to win
control of the party. This could have a beneficial effect
for PKB, though, as it might push more NU members away from
PPP and toward PKB. (Note: Current PPP Chairman Hamzah Haz
is from the NU faction of PPP. End Note.)

YENNY VIEWS FPI
---------------


20. (C) Yenny Wahid told us that the retired military
officers who had helped to form and finance the Islam
Defenders Front (FPI) -- such as former Jakarta Police Chief
Nugroho Djayusman, with whom Yenny had recently had direct
contact -- no longer could control FPI. In Yenny's view,
those former military officers had "created a monster" that
now functioned independently of its former sponsors and did
not feel beholden toward them. Although anyone with money
could hire FPI for political purposes, no one outside of the
group could control FPI head Habib Rizieq, who functions as
his own boss. (Note: Ref A reported our own conversation
with Nugroho on FPI. End Note.)

THE POLITICAL POSITION OF GOLKAR'S SECRETARY GENERAL
--------------------------------------------- -------

21. (C) Golkar officials have told us that, after his
election as Golkar Party Chairman in 2004, Vice President
Jusuf Kalla selected Soemarsono as Golkar Secretary General
on the recommendation of President Yudhoyono. Lately,
however, our contacts have questioned Soemarsono's loyalty to
Yudhoyono; one member of Golkar's Central Board told us
Soemarsono is trying to play Kalla off against Golkar Deputy
General Chairman Agung Laksono, and to create his own faction
within Golkar. Our contact told us Soemarsono also had an
interest in running for Governor of Central Java.

PASCOE