Wikileaks reveal US, Aust intelligence here
CLASSIFIED US diplomatic cables from 2006, recently published by WikiLeaks, have finally revealed that Australia and the United States have highly protected local intelligence sources in the Solomon Islands.
The WikiLeaked document trove which was obtained by the Solomon Star pin-pointed former Foreign Affairs Minister and businessman Laurie Chan as a reliable source of the US and Australian intelligence in this country.
A classified US cable sent on April 13 2006, “Solomon Islands/Guatemala/China” disclosed confidential conversations between Mr Chan and Robert Fitts, the US Ambassador to the Solomons who was based in Papua New Guinea.
The conversation was recorded five days before the election of Synder Rini as Prime Minister which sparked the April 2006 Riots.
According
to that cable, former Foreign Minister Chan told Ambassador Fitts that he was
now set to repeat that role in the next government (assuming the coalition
wins) and pledged they would support Guatemala for the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) seat.
Although
Chan was confident of the outcome that Snyder Rini would become Prime Minister,
he indicated his concern that some logging companies were providing funding to
groups that would unite around Charles Dausabea as PM or a candidate from the
opposing groups.
The
cables revealed Mr Chan told Ambassador Fitts that he was worried because obviously
the Dausabea group’s main intention would be to overturn the previous coalition
government’s long-term support for Taiwan (which in turn has long funded its candidates).
However,
Dausabea had made little secret of his desire to oust RAMSI, the Australian-led
assistance mission which has restored order to Solomon Islands and is now
working to restore governance.
The
cables highlighted Ambassador Fitts and Mr Chan later concluded that Dausabea
and his group have a low chance of winning the elections.
Similar
revelations also occurred during the hearing of former Attorney General Julian
Moti’s case in Queensland.
According
to AFP Agent Peter Bond's evidence tendered to the Supreme Court of Queensland
there exists an ''AIC'' (Australian Intelligence Community'') in Solomon
Islands. Mr Bond had diarized his regular interactions with the AIC in Honiara
on Mr Moti’s surveillance before his removal from the country.
Mr Moti
could not be reached in Sydney for his reaction to those disclosures and the
nature of Australian surveillance on his movements while he was serving as the
top law officer of the Crown in Solomon Islands.
It is
understood Taiwan are already aware of the whole issue as Mr Chan prepares to
take up his new post in Taipei as new Solomon Islands ambassador.
Sources
close to the Solomon Star said it is in the national interests of
both Australia and USA that a Mr Chan represents them as Solomon
Islands Ambassador and relays sensitive information back to the
Solomons via Canberra and the USA Embassy in Port Moresby.
Meanwhile,
a leaked email from the Australian High Commission to Canberra dated Monday 17
April 2006 (on the eve of the PMs election) revealed former Australian High
Commissioner Patrick Cole once questioned Mr Chan and his father Tommy Chan, as
to why none of Australia’ preferred candidates have been chosen amongst Rini,
Manasseh Sogavare and Job Dudley Tausinga.
The three
candidates were vying for the PMs Election in 2006.
The three
candidates were described by Mr Cole as depressing as it does not look good for
the future of RAMSI as they were unlikely to be an effective voice to represent
Australia’s interests in Cabinet.
The
Solomon Star could not reach Mr Chan for comments yesterday.
Several attempts to contact him through phone at the Honiara Hotel yesterday were unsuccessful.
By DOUGLAS MARAU
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