Australian war planes spying on Indonesia -- Report

Australian war planes spying on Indonesia -- Report
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

SYDNEY, MAY 11: Australian spy planes are flying secret missions against Indonesia, jeopardising attempts to restore relations between the two countries, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review on Thursday.

The Australian government has repeatedly denied unauthorised intrusion into Indonesian airspace but the paper said Royal Australian Air Force Orion planes were monitoring Indonesian military communications from international airspace.

The operation, first revealed in British magazine Flight Internationalearlier this week, is code-named `Peacemake' and is taking place under the cover of regular RAAF maritime reconnaissance flights.

The paper said senior government sources feared the disclosure would prompt Indonesia to take counter-measures, reducing the effectiveness of the intelligence gathering.

Last Tuesday Australian prime minister John Howard invited Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid to visit Australia in an effort to begin the renormalisation of relations between Canberra and Jakarta, following last year's Australian-led Interfet operation in East Timor.

Last month two Indonesian F-5 fighters flew within metres of four unarmed RAAF Hornet jets as they escorted a Boeing refuelling tanker from Australia to Singapore.

Indonesia has made repeated claims that Australian aircraft have violated its airspace, with one legislator going so far as to suggest these so-called black flights should be shot down.