Indonesiaâs president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday ordered immigration authorities to lift a one-year ban on a prominent American terrorism expert, declaring the reasons for the ban âirrelevant,â according to a presidential spokesman.* * *[I]t appeared unlikely Ms Jones would be allowed to return. But in a rare public rebuff of Indonesiaâs powerful bureaucracy President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono intervened on Tuesday, asking to be briefed by ministers on the reasons for Ms Jonesâ ban and subsequently declaring them âirrelevantâ.
* * *Ms Jones, who said she planned to return to Jakarta on Thursday or Friday, said she was never informed of the reason for the latest ban.
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I know this is still less than persuasive to a number of Rantburgers that Indonesia is a valuable ally, but these developments are encouraging to me, at least.