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Western Intelligence and Covert Soviet Military Aid to Indonesia During the 1962 West New Guinea Crisis

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Abstract

This chapter assesses the performance of Western intelligence services against the Soviet target in the 1962 West New Guinea Crisis. During this crisis the Soviet Union secretly supplied Indonesia with Soviet-manned submarines and bombers and was prepared for these units to participate in an Indonesian attack against the Dutch military in West New Guinea. American and British intelligence services managed to detect the deployment of the Soviet force and obtained some indications that they would be used in support of an Indonesian attack. However, while the Americans and British had good military intelligence they had insufficient political and diplomatic intelligence and, therefore, could not discover the motivations behind the Soviet deployment.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Garthoff 1998, p. 20.

  2. 2.

    Idem, pp. 28–29; Fursenko and Naftali 1999, p. 188, 210, 217.

  3. 3.

    Ryzhikov 1995, pp. 52–54; Rijs 1999, pp. 1, 5; Ryzhikov 2004; Khrushchev 2007, pp. 789–790; Andrii͡anov 2003, p. 169. See also Muraviev and Brown 2008, pp. 5–6.

  4. 4.

    Ooms 2012, p. 26.

  5. 5.

    Webster 2009, p. 117; Boden 2006, pp. 206–216.

  6. 6.

    Gale Digital Collections, Declassified Document Reference Service (DDRS) http://gdc.gale.com/products/declassified-documents-reference-system/ CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 16 February 1961; Intelligence Report, ‘Indonesia’s Growing Dependence on Soviet Bloc Arms’, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, State Department, 24 February 1961; The British National Archive (TNA), DEFE 5/130, Memorandum COS (62) 374, 11 September 1962.

  7. 7.

    Dinas Sejarah Militer TNI – Angkatan Darat 1972, pp. 462–463.

  8. 8.

    Nasution 1985, pp. 295–297.

  9. 9.

    Drooglever 2009, pp. 448–449.

  10. 10.

    DDRS, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 16 February 1961.

  11. 11.

    Proquest Digital National Security Archive (DNSA), National Security Agency Collection http://www.proquest.com/products-services/databases/dnsa.html Memorandum, Guthe to Crawford, 20 September 1962.

  12. 12.

    CIA Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room (CIA FOIA), http://www.foia.cia.gov/ Memorandum “Further Analysis of Bloc and Western Shipping Calling at Cuban Ports”, Assistant Director, Research and Reports to Deputy Director (Intelligence), 11 September 1962.

  13. 13.

    DNSA, National Security Agency Collection, Memorandum, Guthe to Crawford, 20 September 1962; United States National Archives and Records Administration at College Park (NARA), CIA Records Search Tool (CREST), Memorandum, Assistant Director, Research and Reports to Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs, State Department, 18 September 1962. For information about the code word system see: Easter 2012, pp. 875–895.

  14. 14.

    NARA, CREST, Report on the Soviet Arms Build up in Cuba, United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, not dated.

  15. 15.

    Aid 2009 pp. 78, 130–131; Easter 2008, p. 694; Easter 2012, pp. 891–892.

  16. 16.

    Easter 2008, p. 684, 694.

  17. 17.

    National Archives of Australia (NAA), A1838 TS690/2/2 Part 9, McDonald to Department of External Affairs, 26 March 1965.

  18. 18.

    Wiebes 2001, p. 257; Platje 2001, pp. 296–297, 303–304.

  19. 19.

    De Graaff and Wiebes 1998, p. 179. Abdulgani denied De Graaff and Wiebes’ claims.

  20. 20.

    Ibid.; Platje 2001, pp. 300–301.

  21. 21.

    Wiebes 2001, pp. 258–259; TNA, CAB 159/37, 2nd Meeting, 11 January 1962.

  22. 22.

    Wiebes 2001, pp. 258–259.

  23. 23.

    Jones 2002, p. 49; Penders 2002, pp. 340–342.

  24. 24.

    DNSA, National Security Agency Collection, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Review, 30 March 1962.

  25. 25.

    Penders 2002, pp. 360–361; Drooglever 2009, pp. 468–469.

  26. 26.

    TNA, DO 169/167, Telegram 322, Jakarta to Foreign Office, 27 April 1962.

  27. 27.

    Penders 2002, pp. 359–368; Drooglever 2009, pp. 469–477.

  28. 28.

    DDRS, State Department, Research Memorandum RSB-96, Hilsman to Secretary of State, 27 April 1962.

  29. 29.

    Ibid.

  30. 30.

    NAA, A1838, TS3036/6/1 Part 14, Minute Loveday to Anderson, covering JIC (AUST) (62) 49 (Revise), 26 June 1962.

  31. 31.

    Ibid.

  32. 32.

    Opris 2012, p. 517.

  33. 33.

    TNA, FO 371/166514, Telegram 801, Moscow to Foreign Office, 9 May 1962.

  34. 34.

    Mikoyan 2012, p. 467.

  35. 35.

    Andrii͡anov 2003, p.169. Translation by author.

  36. 36.

    Khrushchev 2007, p. 790.

  37. 37.

    Ibid., pp. 791–792.

  38. 38.

    TNA, FO 371/166514, Telegram 801, Roberts to Foreign Office, 9 May 1962; Telegram 802, Roberts to Foreign Office, 9 May 1962.

  39. 39.

    Ibid, Letter Roberts to Foreign Office, 16 May 1962.

  40. 40.

    John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, National Security Files, Box 113A, File Indonesia, Volume II, April–June 1962, Telegram 2014, Jakarta to State Department, 15 May 1962.

  41. 41.

    Koster 1991, pp. 109–110; John F. Kennedy National Security Files, 1961–1963, Asia and the Pacific (JFK) (University Publications of America, Bethesda, 1987), Microfilm, Reel 2, Telegram 907, The Hague to State Department, 23 May 1962.

  42. 42.

    NARA, Record Group 59, State Department Central Decimal File, 1960–1963, Box 89, Telegram 2071, Jakarta to State Department, 25 May 1962.

  43. 43.

    Ibid., Telegram 3049 Moscow to State Department, 24 May 1962.

  44. 44.

    JFK, Reel 2, Telegram 907, The Hague to State Department, 23 May 1962. No Indonesian or Soviet source has subsequently confirmed these claims.

  45. 45.

    NARA, CREST, CIA, Memorandum from Assistant Director, Research and Reports to Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs, State Department, 18 September 1962.

  46. 46.

    Ryzhikov 1995, p. 52.

  47. 47.

    TNA, AIR 24/2692, FEAF Weekly Intelligence Summary, Reports Received During the Period Ending 1st June, 1962, not dated.

  48. 48.

    TNA, AIR 24/2692, FEAF Weekly Intelligence Summary, Reports Received During the Period Ending 22 June, 1962, not dated; NARA, CREST, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 6 July 1962.

  49. 49.

    NARA, CREST, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 6 July 1962; NAA, A1838, 3034/12/5 Part 7, Memorandum 1445 Upton to Department of External Affairs, Annex A, 26 July 1962.

  50. 50.

    TNA, DEFE 5/130, Memorandum COS (62) 374, 11 September 1962.

  51. 51.

    NARA, CREST, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 6 July 1962.

  52. 52.

    Djamin 2001, p. 155; Nasution 1985, pp. 310–311.

  53. 53.

    Nasution 1985, pp. 310–311; Dinas Sejarah Militer 1972, p. 467.

  54. 54.

    TNA, DEFE 5/130, Memorandum COS (62) 374, 11 September 1962.

  55. 55.

    NAA, A1838,3034/12/5 Part 7, Letter Upton to Department of External Affairs, Annex A, 26 July 1962.

  56. 56.

    Khrushchev 2007, p. 792.

  57. 57.

    Fursenko 2008, p. 899. Translation by author.

  58. 58.

    TNA, FO 371/166514, Letter Petersen to London, 20 June 1964; Letter Petersen to London, 4 July 1964.

  59. 59.

    TNA, AIR 24/2692, FEAF Weekly Intelligence Summary 27/62, Reports Received During the Period Ending 13 July, 1962, not dated.

  60. 60.

    NARA, Record Group 59, Central Decimal Files State Department, 1960–63, 656.9813/5-1762 – 656.9813/8-162, Box 1356, Telegram CX-127, Jakarta to State Department, 28 July 1962.

  61. 61.

    TNA, FO 371/166547, Minute by Chalmers, 18 July 1962.

  62. 62.

    JFK, Reel 10, Telegram 87, Jakarta to State Department, 13 July 1962.

  63. 63.

    DNSA, National Security Agency Collection, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Review, 20 July 1962.

  64. 64.

    Nasution 1985, pp. 311–312; Suharto 1989, p. 108; Drooglever 2009, pp. 505–506.

  65. 65.

    Platje 2001, p. 305; NARA, Record Group 59, Central Decimal Files State Department, 1960–63, 656.9813/5-1762–656.9813/8-162, Box 1356, Telegram 270755Z, ALUSNA Hague to State Department, 28 July 1962; Telegram 301259Z, ALUSNA Hague to State Department, 30 July 1962.

  66. 66.

    Jones 1971, p. 210.

  67. 67.

    The CIA Director wanted SAC to carry out the missions and a record of CIA flights shows none having taken place over Indonesia in 1962. See NARA, CREST, Memorandum Cunningham to Director of Central Intelligence, 29 July 1962; NARA, CREST, Memorandum ‘Project Idealist’, nd.

  68. 68.

    CIA, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts, FBIS-FRB-62-207, Indonesia, 23 October 1962. However, in his autobiography Sukarno stated that there were two U-2 flights ‘over Irian’. See: Sukarno 1966, p. 288.

  69. 69.

    Suharto 1989, p. 108.

  70. 70.

    TNA, AIR 24/2692, FEAF Weekly Intelligence Summary 26/62, Reports Received During the Period Ending 13 July 1962, not dated. W-class stood for ‘Whiskey’ class, Whiskey being the NATO codename for Project 613 submarines.

  71. 71.

    Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), 1961–63, Vol. XXIII, Southeast Asia, Document 275, Memorandum Komer to Kennedy, 16 July 1962.

  72. 72.

    TNA, FO 371/166547, Telegram 30, Geneva to Foreign Office, 23 July 1962.

  73. 73.

    Ibid.

  74. 74.

    Ibid.

  75. 75.

    Drooglever 2009, pp. 495–497; See: Sukarno, 1966, p. 75.

  76. 76.

    FRUS, 1961–63, Vol. XXIII, Southeast Asia, Document 281, Memorandum of a Conversation between Rusk and van Roijen, 26 July 1962; Subandrio 2001, p. 77.

  77. 77.

    Ibid; FRUS, 1961–63, Vol. XXIII, Southeast Asia, Document 285, Telegram Jakarta to State Department, 3 August 1962; TNA, FO 371/166548, Telegram 525, Selby to Foreign Office, 1 August 1962; DDRS, Telegram SF1007, CIA to White House, 2 August 1962.

  78. 78.

    Drooglever 2009, p. 498.

  79. 79.

    FRUS, 1961–63, Vol. XXIII, Southeast Asia, Document 285, Telegram Jakarta to State Department, 3 August 1962; Nasution 1985, p. 313.

  80. 80.

    JFK, Reel 10, Telegram 128, State Department to The Hague, 11 August 1962.

  81. 81.

    Drooglever 2009, pp. 765–770.

  82. 82.

    Sudomo, “Perebutan Irian Barat: Di Balik Konflik RI-Belanda 1962”, Suara Pembaruan, 11 August 2005. Available at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/tionghoa-net/conversations/messages/37748 Accessed 8 March 2014.

  83. 83.

    Artizov 2007, p. 153. Translation by author.

  84. 84.

    Ryzhikov 1995, pp. 52–54; Rijs 1999, p. 5.

  85. 85.

    Rijs 1999, p. 1, 5; Ooms 2012, p. 25.

  86. 86.

    Ooms 2012, p. 26.

  87. 87.

    DNSA, CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Review, 17 August 1962.

  88. 88.

    Ooms 2012, p. 27.

  89. 89.

    TNA, CAB 158/47, Memorandum JIC (62) 81 (Final), 1 October 1962.

  90. 90.

    TNA, DEFE 13/139, Minute 1st Lord of the Admiralty to Minister of Defence, 26 November 1962.

  91. 91.

    NARA, CREST, Memorandum from Lehman to Executive Director, enclosing paper on ‘CIA Handling of the Soviet Build-up in Cuba’, 14 November 1962.

  92. 92.

    Mikoyan 2012, pp. 467–468.

  93. 93.

    Giebels 2001, p. 259.

  94. 94.

    Ibid. Translation by author.

  95. 95.

    Garthoff 1998, pp. 24–26.

  96. 96.

    CIA FOIA, Memorandum by the National Indications Center on ‘The Soviet Bloc Armed Forces and the Cuban Crisis: A Discussion of Readiness Measures’, 15 July 1963.

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  1. Department of War Studies, Kings College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

    David Easter

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  1. Faculty of Military Sciences, Netherlands Defence Academy Faculty of Military Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands

    Floribert Baudet

  2. Department of History and Art History, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Eleni Braat

  3. Veteraneninstituut , Doorn, The Netherlands

    Jeoffrey van Woensel

  4. Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Independent scholar, retired Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Aad Wever

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Easter, D. (2017). Western Intelligence and Covert Soviet Military Aid to Indonesia During the 1962 West New Guinea Crisis. In: Baudet, F., Braat, E., van Woensel, J., Wever, A. (eds) Perspectives on Military Intelligence from the First World War to Mali. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-183-8_4

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