3,000 police officials, diplomats<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As a response to a warning by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN)
\nthat terrorist groups might shift targets to high-ranking
\nofficials and foreign diplomats, Jakarta Police have deployed
\n3,000 officers with specific tasks to guard the officials and
\ntheir relatives.<\/p>\n
Chief of operations at city police Sr. Comr. Komang Udayana
\nsaid that the officers, taken from the 17,350 policemen deployed
\nto secure Christmas celebrations, have started work to watch over
\nthe possible targets.<\/p>\n
"We want to anticipate any possibility of threats so we
\nspecifically set up small teams to guard high-ranking officials
\nand their family members. One or two officers will monitor their
\nhouse while several others will guard them personally."<\/p>\n
He said that security was also tightened around most of the
\nembassy buildings and residences of foreign diplomats across the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
General crime unit chief Moh. Jaelani added that more
\ndetectives and intelligence personnel had also been deployed to
\nmonitor residences of high-ranking officials, diplomats and
\nforeigners.<\/p>\n
"These security measures are part of operations to secure
\nChristmas and New Year so we already have a budget for that. We
\nwon't charge (extra money) to the people we guard," he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
BIN director Syamsir Siregar warned last week that the Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) may be upgrading its tactics from suicide bombings
\nto abductions or killings of high-ranking officials and
\nforeigners over the Christmas-New Year period in major cities
\nacross the sprawling archipelago, especially Jakarta.<\/p>\n
JI has unleashed five suicide bombers targeting what was
\nbelieved to be Western interests since 2002 here, killing more
\nthan 240 people.<\/p>\n
Police officers killed on Nov. 9 Azahari bin Husin, the
\ngroup's bomb expert, in a raid on his hideout in Batu, East Java.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani had warned that
\nAzahari's accomplice Noordin M. Top and JI's new recruits could
\ntry to retaliate to avenge Azahari's death.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono confirmed on Tuesday that
\nthe presidential guards has stepped up security amid warnings
\nthat terrorists may be planning to assassinate or kidnap him.<\/p>\n
"My security profile has been raised as a result of this
\nthreat," he was quoted as saying by Associated Press during his
\nvisit to Aceh, where he was attending ceremonies marking the one-
\nyear anniversary of the tsunami.<\/p>\n
"I will keep doing my daily tasks and routines, there will be
\nno change there," the President said, refusing to elaborate on
\nthe tightened security measures.<\/p>\n
Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng has said that the
\npresidential guards has increased security protection for the
\nfirst family as well.<\/p>\n
He added that the President had been asked to reduce his
\npresence in public, especially events that enable people to touch
\nhim, and not to open his car window to wave to the crowd.<\/p>\n
Since last week, the presidential guards have made several
\nchanges, one of which was to assign officers the same height or
\ntaller than the President (over 1.8 meters).<\/p>\n
At the presidential palace, the security measures remain the
\nsame where people are assigned to leave their names, addresses
\nand ID cards at the first gate before entering the second gate to
\nthe palace compound.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/3000-police-officials-diplomats-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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