Indonesia back in spotlight after FBI visit, arrests<\/p>\n
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia finds itself in the spotlight again over terrorism
\nfollowing the visit by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
\nDirector Robert S Mueller to Bali and the recent arrest of three
\nIndonesians in Manila for possession of bomb-making components.<\/p>\n
During his two-day visit, Mueller held meetings with high
\nranking Indonesian officials, including Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nNational Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Indonesia's National
\nIntelligence Agency (BIN) chief AM Hendropriyono.<\/p>\n
Mueller said that he appreciated what Indonesia had done to
\nfight against terrorism, reiterating that the U.S. understood
\nthat Indonesia was, and would keep, working seriously to address
\nthe terrorism issue.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has recently become the target of criticism from
\nneighboring countries for allegedly doing next to nothing to
\nfight against terrorism.<\/p>\n
The situation worsened after the Philippine police arrested
\nthree Indonesians in Manila last week for possession of bomb-
\nmaking components. The three were identified as Agus Dwikarma,
\nAbdul Jammal Balfas and Tamsil Linrung.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Achmad Michdan said in Jakarta on Sunday that he
\nrecognized Agus as an important member of the Indonesian
\nMujahidin Council (MMI).<\/p>\n
\"Agus Dwikarna is a significant player in the MMI. I'm sure
\nabout this,\" Achmad told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Achmad represents MMI chief Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who has been
\ngrilled twice by Indonesian Police Intelligence over his alleged
\nlinks with international terrorist groups, including reports from
\nMalaysian Police that he leads the al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah
\nIslamiyah militant group in Malaysia. Ba'asyir has firmly denied
\nthis.<\/p>\n
Philippine police believe the three Indonesians are members of
\nJamaah Islamiyah.<\/p>\n
According to Philippine intelligence sources, as quoted by
\nAFP, Agus has admitted to Philippine investigators that he is a
\nmember of several Indonesian militant groups, including the
\nfourth in command of the MMI, an umbrella group advocating strict
\nIslamic law in Indonesia. Agus has also told the Philippine
\npolice that he is the overall commander of a group called Laskar
\nJundullah and a chapter head of Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah (DDI).<\/p>\n
The DDI, linked to the former ruling Golkar Party, was set up
\nto coordinate Islamic missionary activities through preaching and
\nsermons, while Laskar Jundullah advocates syariah law for
\nIndonesia's 80 percent Muslim population.<\/p>\n
Investigators have established that Agus, a civil engineer by
\ntraining, had illegally entered the southern Philippines island
\nof Mindanao previously in 1989 and 1991, the sources said.
\nMeanwhile, Tamsil also stated that he was a DDI member, besides
\nbeing a member of the advisory board of the Committee for Syariah
\nLaw Enforcement Preparation, and a former treasurer of the
\nNational Mandate Party (PAN), led by Amien Rais.<\/p>\n
Abdul Jamal Balfas said he was the manager of PT Bumi Daya
\nKutat, which he described as a contractor for an Indonesian
\nmining firm, according to Philippine police sources.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's National Police chief of detectives Insp. Gen.
\nEngkesman Hillep, who attended the FBI meetings with government
\nand police officials in Bali, said the police were seeking
\ninformation so as to establish a link between the three arrested
\nIndonesians and terrorist groups.<\/p>\n
He added that police were still focusing their efforts on
\nlocating Hambali, an Indonesian cleric who is the primary suspect
\nin the 2000 Christmas bombings in Indonesia, and who, according
\nto Malaysia, was in contact with the two hijackers of the
\naircraft that crashed into the Pentagon during the Sept. 11
\nattacks in the U.S. last year.<\/p>\n
Hambali is currently at large. \"The Malaysian police are still
\nfocusing their investigation on, among other matters, the Jamaah
\nIslamiyah organization,\" Engkesman told the Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Police had earlier revealed that the Jamaah
\nIslamiyah was introduced to Malaysia by Surakarta-born Abdullah
\nAchmad Sungkar. When Abdullah died in 1999, Ba'asyir took over
\nwith Hambali as his lieutenant.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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