Indonesian Probe Leads to Army; Police Pin Ambush That Killed Two Americans on Soldiers

Indonesian Probe Leads to Army; Police Pin Ambush That Killed Two Americans on Soldiers

The Washington Post

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October 27, 2002 | Ellen Nakashima and Alan Sipress | Copyright

Police have told senior Indonesian military officials they believe Indonesian soldiers were responsible for the Aug. 31 ambush near a copper and gold mine in Papua province that killed two Americans and an Indonesian, according to a senior military officer and a high- ranking intelligence officer.

I Made Pastika, who until recently headed the investigation as Papua police chief, told Maj. Gen. Sulaiman, the Indonesian military police commander, and another high-ranking army officer who visited Papua about a week ago that the police suspect soldiers carried out the attack near a mine owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. of New Orleans, the senior Indonesian military officer said. …

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