Aperture, Keywords, and Spotlight

I can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. I've asked on the Apple/Aperture discussions board and no one will answer me...so I'm seeking answers elsewhere.

Does Spotlight (OS X 10.5) index and search keywords that are assigned in Aperture? IOW: is the Aperture library indexed?

I recently bought Aperture and have imported thousands of photos into various Projects. I've been adding new keywords (all my files are referenced to their original place on the filesystem) but when I go to do a Spotlight search or create a SavedSearch/Smart Folder none of the images I've tagged in Aperture appear in the results.

Unless something is wrong with my system I can only conclude that Aperture keywords are not indexed by Spotlight--which in my opinion is a glaring omission. Equally strange is the fact that Aperture will automatically assign keywords on import to images that have been tagged via the Inspector in Preview.app. So keywords can be assigned elsewhere (which ARE indexed), can be successfully imported into Aperture, but keywords assigned in Aperture aren't visible outside the context of Aperture (making the Aperture Library a "black box").

Am I doing something wrong or is this the state of affairs with Aperture?

Thanks--
ppmax