THE message came from Indonesian Military Commander in Chief, General Wiranto. It said Abdurrahman Wahid, newly elected President of the Republic of Indonesia, wanted the recipient of the message, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, then Wiranto’s Territorial Chief of Staff, to be a member of his government. Yudhoyono was overwhelmed by a mixed feeling of surprise and honor. “I was deeply overwhelmed by the offer,” Yudhoyono recalled.

Yudhoyono, who