Sukarno, Monroe, and CIA

It is no secret that President Sukarno was an admirer of beautiful women. He even admitted it himself to the biographer from the United States, Cindy Adams.

"It's not a sin or impolite if someone admires a beautiful woman," he said in Bung Karno Penjambung Lidah Rakyat Indonesia (compiled by Cindy Adams).

It is not surprising that the Western mass media often mocked Sukarno as Don Juan from Asia. In reality, Sukarno's life was indeed surrounded by beautiful and charming women. It happened that besides being handsome, Bung Karno was also a warm and interesting person. Not surprisingly, many women from various countries tried to approach him.

"Who knows some of them were also sent by foreign intelligence agents?" said R. Suharto (Bung Karno's personal doctor) in his autobiography, Witness to History: Following the Struggle of Dwitunggal.

One of the world's artists who ever made a scene because of her meeting with Sukarno was Marylin Monroe. It happened thanks to Joshua Logan, the director of the film 'Bus Stop', which was played by Marilyn. Logan met Sukarno while he was visiting about 200 film workers in Hollywood on a visit to the United States in 1956.

To honor the arrival of Sukarno and his entourage, in the evening, Eric Allen Johnston (President of the Motion Picture Association of America) held an event at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Actually, Marilyn's presence was not in the welcoming party's schedule. Joshua Logan was the one who took the initiative to invite Marylin.

"I want you to see my best friend tonight," Logan coaxed to Marilyn.

Without hesitation, Marylin agreed to Logan's request. Even though the next day she would be turning 30 and had to fly that night to New York for an event.

Long story short, Marilyn came to the party. With her long-necked dark dress, Marilyn seemed to liven up the party atmosphere. Apart from Marilyn, other well-known actors included Gregory Peck, George Murphy (later senator) and Ronald Reagan (later US president).

Marilyn's presence was like a magnet for everyone present at the event. Sukarno was no exception. Upon learning of Marilyn's arrival, in the style of a gentleman, the president approached the blonde artist. They met in a friendly atmosphere for almost 45 minutes. Like two old friends who haven't seen each other. This moment was not wasted by US and Indonesian photographers.

Marilyn casually said that she was sorry she wasn't invited to the party. But Sukarno didn't care if she was invited or not, as long as he had met her.

"My purpose in coming to America was to meet you, among other things," said Sukarno.

The encounter leaves behind some interesting stories that expand beyond the bounds of actual facts. In the book Goddess: The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe written by Anthony Summers, there is a section that mentions an affair between the two legends. However, according to Lambert Giebels (author of Soekarno, 1901-1950 and Soekarno, 1950-1970), it is very difficult to confirm the truth of the story. Especially to be justified.

The intermediary for the meeting, Joseph Logan himself, seemed to allow sensitive speculation to circulate among the press by stating "I think the two of them had a follow-up meeting after the party," he said.

However, what is clear is that the meeting between Sukarno and Marilyn Monroe was a hot topic among elite US officials. Yes, naturally, because Sukarno was known as a womanizer while the Hollywood star was the ultimate seducer.

And indeed, few know about what Sukarno and Marilyn had discussed at the banquet at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the end of May 1956. However, rumors about what happened after the meeting continued to blow.

In Nick Redfern and Nicholas Redfern's Celebrity Secrets: Official Government Files on the Rich and Famous, Anthony Summers (an author that writes about Monroe) mentions that during the filming of Bus Stop in 1956, Marilyn met Sukarno.

"She wanted to tell her friend Robert Slatzer that she and Sukarno had 'spent the night together'," Summers said.

In the book, which claims to be based on FBI data, Summers states that nothing that happened at the meeting went unnoticed by the CIA.

"In those years, Indonesia rose as much as Vietnam in Washington's watch as a priority in Asia," according to Nick Redfern and Nicholas Redfern.

Nick and Nicholas also reveal recordings (between 1957 and 1958) indicating the CIA's involvement in all forms of crime to overthrow Sukarno, whom the US saw as responsible for steering the country towards communism. However, when the US felt the need to win over Sukarno, the CIA “dreams” of using sex as an inducement. Marilyn Monroe wass one such bait.

According to Joseph Smith, a former CIA official in Asia, (quoted from the book Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summer) there was indeed a follow-up meeting between Sukarno and Monroe after that night.

"There was an attempt to keep Sukarno with Monroe. In mid-1958, I heard there were plans to bring them to bed together," Joseph Smith wrote in the book.

Several US sources also indicated that Marilyn was an artist who was deliberately recruited by the CIA to 'conquer' Sukarno. To what extent is the truth of the story? Only the CIA knows.