THE private meeting was held at the VIP Room of Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in East Jakarta, on Saturday morning, two weeks ago. At the meeting, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Amien Rais, the founder of the National Mandate Party (PAN), shook hands.

They alone know what was said in those 12 minutes. Afterwards, Yudhoyono returned to the State Palace to get ready to go to Malaysia the next afternoon. Amien flew back to Yogyakarta. The n