Megawati Orders Cabinet to Prepare for Military Operation in Aceh
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has instructed senior government officials in charge of security affairs to prepare a military operation in Aceh, due to the deteriorating situation in the restive province. “The date for the military operation will be decided later,” Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by Antara after attending a Cabinet meeting here on Tuesday led by the president. Susilo said that despite the military operation, which he referred to as a “security restoration operation”, the government would continue its humanitarian and law enforcement programs in Aceh. Full Story