US, Indonesian militaries to jointly secure Obama's visit

The US and Indonesian militaries will team up to ensure the security of US President Barack Obama during his planned visit to Indonesia next month.

The chief of the US Pacific Command, Adm. Robert F. Willard, said here Wednesday that although an advanced team from the White House had recently been Indonesia for "preliminary planning" for Obama's visit, the two countries' militaries had nevertheless agreed on helping arrange the security of the visit.

"When the president travels in this region of the world [the Pacific], the US Pacific Command is generally called upon to provide assistance for his security," Willard said.

"So I look forward to the opportunity next month to cooperate with the TNI (Indonesian military) and the government of Indonesia in ensuring the security of the entire visit."

Willard spoke to Indonesian journalists after paying a brief courtesy call on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Office in Jakarta.

The top US military officer said that during his previous discussions with his counterparts from the Indonesian Defense Ministry and the military, the two had expressed their commitment to Obama's security.

"We are very confident in the security arrangements that you will make and in the capability of the TNI to fulfill their responsibilities in terms of the security of our president's visit," Willard said.

Indonesia presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal had said earlier that Obama would visit Indonesia in the second half of March.

He declined to go into detail Wednesday, saying the visit was still in the planning stage.

Dino added, nevertheless, that it would be the US president's “homecoming” visit, given the few years the latter spent in Jakarta during his childhood.

"And his visit will be the longest visit ever made by a US president in Indonesia as he will stay more than a night, not just several hours as other US presidents did in the past," he said.