As 1965 went on, rumors that right-wing generals were conspiring with the CIA or some foreign power began to spread like wildfire in Jakarta. The Indonesian government found a letter, purportedly written by British Ambassador Andrew Gilchrist, stating “it would be as well to emphasize once more to our local army friends that the strictest caution, discipline and coordination are essential to the success of the enterprise.” Sukarno summoned the military chiefs, demanding to know who these “army friends” were. The “Gilchrist document” could have been a forgery. It could have been real. Or it
...more
