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| Indonesia Takes Aim at Australia Over Spying, but Not the U.S. | Indonesia Takes Aim at Australia Over Spying, but Not the U.S. |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s foreign minister said Monday that it was a “bit mind-boggling” that the Australian intelligence agency had spied on his nation’s trade deliberations with American officials. | |
| “We should be looking out for each other, not turning against one another,” the foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, said. “We should be listening to one another and not to listen in.” | “We should be looking out for each other, not turning against one another,” the foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, said. “We should be listening to one another and not to listen in.” |
| The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions that an American law firm was monitored by the Australian Signals Directorate while representing the Indonesian government on various trade issues. A top-secret document, obtained by the former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden, reported that the Australian agency had notified the N.S.A. that it was conducting surveillance of the talks. | The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions that an American law firm was monitored by the Australian Signals Directorate while representing the Indonesian government on various trade issues. A top-secret document, obtained by the former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden, reported that the Australian agency had notified the N.S.A. that it was conducting surveillance of the talks. |
| In a joint news conference here with Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr. Natalegawa refrained from directly criticizing the United States, saying that he had been assured that the Obama administration was undertaking a review of its spying practices that he hoped would lead to changes in its approach in spying on Indonesia. | In a joint news conference here with Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr. Natalegawa refrained from directly criticizing the United States, saying that he had been assured that the Obama administration was undertaking a review of its spying practices that he hoped would lead to changes in its approach in spying on Indonesia. |
| “What I am now anticipating and what I am now understanding is that the kind of refinement in approach, refinement in outlook and practice will be relevant to a country like Indonesia as a partner of the United States,” Mr. Natalegawa said. | “What I am now anticipating and what I am now understanding is that the kind of refinement in approach, refinement in outlook and practice will be relevant to a country like Indonesia as a partner of the United States,” Mr. Natalegawa said. |
| Mr. Natalegawa was more direct in his comments about the behavior of Australia, Indonesia’s neighbor. The Times article stated that the document did not identify which talks were being monitored, but that two trade disputes at the time were about shrimp and clove cigarettes. | |
| “To suggest as if the future of shrimps exported by Indonesia to the United States had an impact on Australia’s security is a little bit too much, and begs some kind of serious question about what this is all about,” he said. | |
| In a wide-ranging interview with Australia’s ABC Radio on Monday morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the Australian government would not comment directly on intelligence matters except to say that “Australia does need to have a strong intelligence operation. Australian intelligence has been instrumental in the prevention of numerous terrorist attacks including terrorist attacks in Indonesia. We have very good intelligence and security cooperation with Indonesia and that is going to continue.” | In a wide-ranging interview with Australia’s ABC Radio on Monday morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the Australian government would not comment directly on intelligence matters except to say that “Australia does need to have a strong intelligence operation. Australian intelligence has been instrumental in the prevention of numerous terrorist attacks including terrorist attacks in Indonesia. We have very good intelligence and security cooperation with Indonesia and that is going to continue.” |
| Mr. Abbott denied that Australia collects information that would benefit businesses commercially, either in Australia or in the United States. | Mr. Abbott denied that Australia collects information that would benefit businesses commercially, either in Australia or in the United States. |
| Australia’s relationship with Indonesia has been tested in recent months over Australia’s policy on asylum seekers. The conservative Abbott government, elected in September, came to office on a promise to turn back to Indonesia boats carrying asylum seekers. The government, while refusing to comment on its operations at sea, has been accused of loading asylum seekers into lifeboats, launched from Australian Navy vessels, which are then towed back toward Indonesian territorial waters. The Australian Navy has also been accused of entering Indonesian territorial waters. | Australia’s relationship with Indonesia has been tested in recent months over Australia’s policy on asylum seekers. The conservative Abbott government, elected in September, came to office on a promise to turn back to Indonesia boats carrying asylum seekers. The government, while refusing to comment on its operations at sea, has been accused of loading asylum seekers into lifeboats, launched from Australian Navy vessels, which are then towed back toward Indonesian territorial waters. The Australian Navy has also been accused of entering Indonesian territorial waters. |
| Mr. Abbott said Monday that despite strong protests from Indonesia over the incursions, he believed “Australia has a strong relationship with Indonesia; it is a very, very important relationship.” He said that Mr. Natalegawa and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia were good friends of Australia, adding: “I am confident that our relationship is going to go from strength to strength.” | Mr. Abbott said Monday that despite strong protests from Indonesia over the incursions, he believed “Australia has a strong relationship with Indonesia; it is a very, very important relationship.” He said that Mr. Natalegawa and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia were good friends of Australia, adding: “I am confident that our relationship is going to go from strength to strength.” |
| Mr. Kerry sought to play down the spying issue, saying that he understood Indonesia’s concerns and that President Obama had pledged to overhaul American spying practices. | Mr. Kerry sought to play down the spying issue, saying that he understood Indonesia’s concerns and that President Obama had pledged to overhaul American spying practices. |
| Turning his attention to Syria, Mr. Kerry repeated many of the points he made in a statement issued Sunday night. | Turning his attention to Syria, Mr. Kerry repeated many of the points he made in a statement issued Sunday night. |
| But he also went beyond that statement in his criticism of Russia, whose arms shipments and political support, he said, had enabled the Assad government to “double down.” | But he also went beyond that statement in his criticism of Russia, whose arms shipments and political support, he said, had enabled the Assad government to “double down.” |
| Instead of sending a team to negotiate seriously in Geneva, Mr. Kerry said, President Bashar al-Assad was stonewalling in the talks and seeking a victory on the battlefield. | Instead of sending a team to negotiate seriously in Geneva, Mr. Kerry said, President Bashar al-Assad was stonewalling in the talks and seeking a victory on the battlefield. |
| “And I regret to say they are doing so with increased support from Iran, Hezbollah and from Russia,” Mr. Kerry said. | “And I regret to say they are doing so with increased support from Iran, Hezbollah and from Russia,” Mr. Kerry said. |
| Alluding to discussions about new policy options within the Obama administration, Mr. Kerry said: “We will continue to look at options. We will continue to debate among ourselves what steps are appropriate at this point in time.” | Alluding to discussions about new policy options within the Obama administration, Mr. Kerry said: “We will continue to look at options. We will continue to debate among ourselves what steps are appropriate at this point in time.” |