Antiterror team heads to Pakistan<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A an investigation team was dispatched on Tuesday to Pakistan to
\nmeet with five Indonesian madrasah, or Islamist school, students
\narrested there for their alleged links to the Jamaah Islamiyah
\n(JI) terrorist group.<\/p>\n
"The main mission of the team is to ascertain the charges of
\nthese students and to ensure that they receive proper treatment
\nduring detention," spokesman of the foreign affairs ministry
\nMarty Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said that Indonesia had no intention of interfering in the
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
"We respect the ongoing legal process against these people and
\nunderstand that no one is above the law," Marty said.<\/p>\n
He said the team consisted of two diplomats, two policemen and
\none officer from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).<\/p>\n
Pakistan arrested six Indonesian students in early and mid-
\nSeptember for alleged links to JI -- and reportedly al-Qaeda --
\nboth of which are on the UN terrorist list.<\/p>\n
The six were identified as Rusman Gunawan alias Gun Gun,
\nMuhammad Saifuddin, David Pintarto, Furqon Abdullah, Ilham
\nSopandi, and Mohammad Anwar As-Sodaqi. Saifuddin was reportedly
\nreleased last week.<\/p>\n
Gunawan is the brother of Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali, the
\nalleged operational chief of JI, blamed for a spate of terrorist
\nattacks in Indonesia, including the deadly Bali bombings last
\nOctober 2002 and the JW Marriot Hotel attack last Aug. 5. At
\nleast 202 people were killed in the Bali attacks and 12 in the JW
\nMarriot bombing.<\/p>\n
Hambali's little brother, however, has denied links to any
\nterrorist network but admitted sending US$50,000 to Hambali, who
\nis currently being held by U.S. security officials at an
\nundisclosed location.<\/p>\n
Previously, in a meeting between President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on the
\nsidelines of the 58th United Nations General Assembly in New York
\nlast week, Indonesia asked for access to meet its citizens.<\/p>\n
"What we want to ensure is that they have proper treatment
\nduring the detention," Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nHassan Wirayuda said.<\/p>\n
During the visit to Pakistan, the Indonesian team is slated to
\nhold meetings with that country's Federal Investigation Agency
\nand Federal Criminal Agency as well as Pakistani authorities
\nthere.<\/p>\n
Later, the same team will travel to Egypt to get first hand
\ninformation about another Indonesian terror suspect, identified
\nonly as Idris, who was recently arrested in that country.<\/p>\n
"After visiting Karachi, the team will continue its journey to
\nCairo to meet Idris and the local authorities regarding the
\ncharges against him," Marty said.<\/p>\n
Idris was arrested in Cairo, Egypt for allegedly aiding and
\nabetting two suspected terrorists.<\/p>\n
Marty said the Indonesian government had received assurances
\nfrom both Pakistan and Egypt that the team would have access to
\nthe detainees.<\/p>\n
"We would like to have first-hand information regarding these
\narrests of our citizens, but not to undermine the ongoing legal
\nprocess," Mary said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/antiterror-team-heads-to-pakistan-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}