ידיעה שהופיעה ב- Jakarta Post לפני מספר ימים (ההדגשות - שלי):
House Against Purchase of Israeli Drones
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 06/29/2009 9:32 PM | National
The House of Representatives’ Commission I, which oversees defense, says it will not approve the government’s plan to purchase Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), better known as drones.
“The Defense Ministry wants to purchase three drones at a total cost of US$16 million,” commission member Djoko Susilo, from the National Mandate Party (PAN), told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
“The ministry will receive the funds through a loan agreement with Leumi Bank, a UK-based Israeli bank.”
The drones are manufactured by an Israeli company, Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd, he added.
Djoko said the House had already warned the government two years ago to forget about purchasing anything from Israel, in a “show of solidarity” for Palestine.
The plan comes as a surprise because Israel and Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, have no diplomatic relations.
“The government said it would review the policy. However, it was then revealed during today’s meeting with the ministry that the plan would continue,” Djoko said.
“The progress report of the plan shows the government has prepared a loan agreement proposal. The Finance Ministry will then sign the proposal before submitting it to the House for ratification. I have told them the House will not ratify the proposal.”
The Indonesian Military (TNI) signed a contract with a Philippine-based company, acting as an agent, to buy the drones in October 2006.
TNI spokesman Air Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen said the TNI would wait for the House and the government to settle their differences on the purchase plan.
“The law reduces the TNI’s role for giving input concerning technical specifications. The next step is up to the House and the government,” he said. (hdt)