Authorities arranges plans for departure of jihad force<\/p>\n
AMBON, Maluku (JP): Maluku authorities on Friday were already
\nmaking plans to find the most expeditious way of transporting
\nover 1,200 members of Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah out of
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
The Jihad Force has been given a one-month deadline to leave.
\nBut already on Friday authorities were thinking of ways of
\nexpediting their departure.<\/p>\n
\"We will send them back on naval ships,\" Pattimura Military
\nCommander Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela said on Friday.<\/p>\n
He stated that despite the ban on their being here, local
\nauthorities were giving group members already in Maluku the
\nbenefit of the doubt by letting them proceed with humanitarian
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
In a plenary meeting with local councilors it was also decided
\nthat Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina, Tamaela and provincial
\ncouncil speaker, Etty Sahuburua, would go to Jakarta and directly
\nreport to President Abdurrahman Wahid on the latest developments
\nsometime next week.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot just decide to close the port without further
\ncoordination and guidance from Jakarta,\" Latuconsina said
\nregarding the possibility of shutting down the port to prevent
\nfurther Jihad Force members from arriving.<\/p>\n
Following the heightening of religious tensions at the end of
\nlast year and early this year, the Jihad Force has pledged to
\nsend its members to Maluku to protect Muslims in the province.
\nMost have journeyed from the Surabaya port of Tanjung Perak.<\/p>\n
Tamaela on Friday also clarified the confusing figures on the
\ntotal number of Jihad Force members who have succeeded in
\narriving in the province.<\/p>\n
\"We have a list of 500 men. But the captain of the Rinjani
\nship, Abdul Hamid of Tidore in Central Halmahera who carried the
\ngroup here, said there was a total of 1,200 members of Laskar
\nJihad on board. They all obtained tickets which were bought and
\nordered by the group,\" Tamaela said.<\/p>\n
Field data gathered by local journalists indicate that as many
\nas 1,628 were in Maluku. They were centered at Al Fatah mosque,
\nbut most have moved to the Galunggung area in Batu Merah
\nsubdistrict.(48\/49\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/authorities-arranges-plans-for-departure-of-jihad-force-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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