Indonesian Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, leader of the world's most populous Muslim nation, arrived in Hawaii yesterday for a brief layover before heading to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Bush.
president stops
over in isles
Her visit to the U.S. is the
first by a Muslim head of state
since last week's attacksBy B.J. Reyes
breyes@starbulletin.com"It is a transit visit, nothing special or formal," said Adhy Soesanto, an official from the Indonesian Consulate in Los Angeles who was in Honolulu to greet the president.
Megawati arrived at Hickam Air Force Base around 2:30 p.m., said Lt. Christopher Anderson of the base's public affairs office. She did not speak to the media or issue a statement.
Her arrival caused some traffic delays as streets were blocked off for a motorcade that made its way from Hickam to Waikiki, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Jean Motoyama said.
"It was a Secret Service operation," she said. "We assisted and it took approximately 20 minutes."
Indonesian Consulate officials said Megawati's layover at the Hilton Hawaiian Village would be about eight hours.
The Indonesian president is scheduled to meet with Bush tomorrow. It is the first visit by a Muslim head of state to the United States since last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
Originally, the two were to discuss economic aid to cash-strapped Indonesia. Bush is now expected to press the Indonesian president to crack down on hard-line Islamic groups in her country.
Muslims make up 85 percent of Indonesia's 203 million people, and some are incensed by what they perceive as Washington's unreserved support for Israel.
Megawati also is scheduled to attend an energy conference in Houston Sept. 21-24, before flying to New York for the general assembly of the United Nations.
Megawati's visit comes following controversial statements by her vice president, Hamzah Haz, who said last week's attacks could "cleanse the sins of the United States."
U.S. ambassador Robert Gelbard said he was "dismayed" by Haz's comments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
