US diplomat apologizes after Indonesia general denied entry

23/10/2017 12:20

        A senior U.S. diplomat has apologized to Indonesia's government after the top Indonesian general was prevented from traveling to Washington D.C. and says the general is welcome in the U.S. Erin McKee, the deputy U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, did not explain why military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo was prevented from boarding a weekend flight to the U.S. but said the matter had been resolved. McKee met with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday morning and said she apologized. The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Joseph Donovan, had also offered an apology. Nurmantyo and his wife had planned to leave Indonesia on Saturday evening but were told by their airline shortly before departure that U.S. Customs would deny their entry, according to military spokesman Wuryanto, who goes by one name.