reports of Australia spying are 'mind-boggling'

Indonesian minister says reports of Australia spying are 'mind-boggling'

Marty Natalegawa says it’s hard to believe Australia could let its spies help US officials locked in trade disputes with Jakarta

Agence France-Presse in Jakarta

Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said on Monday that reports of Australian spies targeting Indonesian officials during a trade dispute with the United States were “mind-boggling”.

Indonesia has been embroiled in trade disputes with the US over its exports of clove cigarettes and shrimp in recent years, and has lashed out at Canberra over previous allegations that it spied on the Indonesian president and other top officials.

“I find that a bit mind-boggling and a bit difficult how I can connect or reconcile discussion about shrimps and how it impacts on Australia’s security,” Natalegawa told reporters, referring to claims made in a weekend report by the New York Times.

The report said Australia offered intelligence to the US National Security Agency (NSA) to give Washington leverage during a trade dispute with Jakarta.

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/17/australia-spying-jakarta-mind-boggling