Kopassus cooperation 'limited': Downer...

The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, says cooperation with Indonesia's special forces, Kopassus, will be qualified and limited.

The Government has again been forced to defend its decision to renew links with Kopassus, which has historical ties to terrorist and militia groups.

Alexander Downer has acknowledged the special force's poor human rights record.

<snip>Earlier, Labor's Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said the Prime Minister must clarify whether the government believes Indonesia's special forces unit, Kopassus, has terrorist links.

"The bottom line is this - nine months ago John Howard's government confirmed to the Australian Senate that Kopassus had links with terrorist organisations" he said.

"Is John Howard now saying that what the Australian Government said to the Senate at that time is no longer applicable, no longer accurate? Well let him say so."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s922681.htm

to advance his agenda of getting the Indonesian military back in charge of the country. So much easier to extract natural resources from a country that way...