Bali blast probe moves forward<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Kuta, Bali<\/p>\n
The grueling investigation into the Bali bombings is far from
\nover, but a joint multinational team completed on Tuesday its
\nforensic exam of the blast sites.<\/p>\n
Beginning on Wednesday, the team will confine itself to work
\nat the police forensic lab in Bali to determine how the bombs
\nwere exploded, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward
\nAritonang said.<\/p>\n
"We have been able to determine the timing of the bombs, where
\nthe bombs exploded and the specifications of the bombs. But we
\nare still in the dark as to how the bombs were exploded,"
\nAritonang told a joint press conference.<\/p>\n
According to Aritonang, the team is now focusing its
\ninvestigation on how the bombs were set off.<\/p>\n
"Whether detonators, sound, vibration or some other method was
\nused (to detonate the bombs) is something we are still
\ninvestigating," he said<\/p>\n
The investigation into the bombings, which left 190 dead, is
\nbeing carried out by a 126-member multinational team led by the
\nIndonesian police.<\/p>\n
Team members' expertise covers forensics, intelligence and
\nexplosives.<\/p>\n
At a press conference earlier in the day, Aritonang denied
\nreports that a United Nations team also was taking part in the
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
"As far as I know, there is no member of the UN taking part in
\nthis investigation," he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding the bomb that exploded in front of the Sari Club,
\nAritonang said there were no conflicting statements coming from
\nhim and the Australian police.<\/p>\n
"The type of bomb was RDX, while its derivative consists of
\nammonium nitrate," said Aritonang.<\/p>\n
Also speaking at the press conference, Brett Swan of the
\nAustralian Federal Police said questionnaires had been sent to
\nvictims and families of victims in Australia.<\/p>\n
According to Swan, the responses to the questionnaires allowed
\nthe Australian police to identify some 400 to 450 potential
\nwitnesses, who could be questioned to add information to the
\npolice's existing data on the case.<\/p>\n
Swan also said some evidence had been taken to Canberra to be
\nexamined, including personal items of the victims and
\nfingerprints.<\/p>\n
Canberra has the largest Disaster Victims Identification unit
\nin the southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n
Discussing Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a Muslim cleric arrested for
\nhis alleged role in a series of bombings on Christmas Eve in
\n2000, Aritonang said the police would only question him about the
\nBali attack if they found any evidence that pointed to him in the
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Aritonang also confirmed that the police had drawn a sketch of
\na man believed to be a potential suspect.<\/p>\n
"It will be useful to help witnesses identify the person," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But Aritonang refused to confirm if the person was a suspect
\nin the blasts.<\/p>\n
The officer also said that judging from the explosives used,
\nthe Bali bombings shared similarities with other explosions
\nacross Java. However, Aritonang refused to link the Bali attack
\nwith other bombings in the country, including the Jakarta Stock
\nExchange blast in September 2000.<\/p>\n
Intelligence sources have said that the perpetrators of the
\nBali bombings belonged to the same group who exploded a bomb at
\nthe Philippine Embassy in Jakarta two years ago.<\/p>\n
"The kind of bomb materials, that is 90 percent RDX, also
\nknown as C4, is similar to that used at the Philippine Embassy,"
\nthe sources said.<\/p>\n
C4, which is produced in the U.S., can only enter the country
\nwith the approval of security authorities, although it can be
\npurchased on the black market.<\/p>",
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