TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian intelligence is having difficulty verifying the reports on a wiretapping operation on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the G-20 Summit in London. Meanwhile, the British intelligence service has yet to clarify over reports that their intel was spying on SBY.
"The Australian media did not mention its source of the news, so we have difficulty verifying the news," Presidential spokesman for foreign affairs Teuku Faizasyah said on the sidelines of the Moroccan National Day Celebration in Jakarta, Wednesday, July 31.
He asserted that wiretapping is an unethical act in bilateral relations. "Wiretapping is unjustifiable in the practices of bilateral relations because it raises trust issues," said Faiza.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself has chosen to remain tight-lipped, not addressing the rumor.
The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) has pledged not to eavesdrop on foreign leaders when it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in October. "We will treat our guests honorably, provide them with privacy and facilitate their needs," Faiza said.
NATALIA SANTI
