281. Memorandum for the Record1
SUBJECT
- U.S. Provision of 10 C–47 Aircraft to Indonesian Armed Forces
On January 21 I asked Brig. General Suhud, Indonesian Military Attaché, to stop by my office. Upon his arrival, I informed him that the U.S. had decided to provide the Indonesian Armed Forces with 10 C–47 aircraft, and that these aircraft would be arriving in Djakarta shortly. I stressed to him that these aircraft were being made available as a direct consequence of President Nixon’s conversation with President Suharto in Djakarta last July, and that I would appreciate his passing this information to President Suharto and General Sumitro. I added that in the meantime appropriate agencies of the U.S. Government were giving further consideration to the question of providing military assistance to Indonesia, and that he should not necessarily take the 10 C–47s as the end of the story.
General Suhud, who had not heard of the provision of the C–47s, appeared very pleased. He asked if he might now discuss with Defense the arrangements which had been made for sending the aircraft to Indonesia. Since our Embassy in Djakarta had told the Indonesians there about this matter, I informed General Suhud that I could see no objection to his getting in touch with Defense, but that I would appreciate his not informing Defense that he had heard of the matter from me.
General Suhud informed me inter alia that he is returning to Djakarta early next month to assume a new post. He believes that this position will be Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Indonesian Army. His replacement will not be informed as to the contact which he, Suhud, had been maintaining with the White House, and hence any further communications would need to be via the special channel which had been set up last summer in Djakarta.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 531, Country Files, Far East, Indonesia, Vol. I. Top Secret; Sensitive. Attached to a January 22 covering memorandum from Holdridge to Kissinger that indicates Kissinger saw the memorandum.↩