Lucrative prizes for the terrorists' head<\/p>\n
Kornelius Purba, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dr. Azahari and others suspected of terrorism have stayed a
\nstep ahead of the police for two years. So, why haven't the
\npolice asked for the public's help to apprehend them?<\/p>\n
It's a very serious matter for Indonesia and the international
\ncommunity: Terrorist attacks are claiming more victims, and no
\none knows when the killing will stop.<\/p>\n
\"Post sketches of him in public places so that people know
\nwhat he looks like, and offer cash prizes for those who can lead
\nthe way to his arrest,\" said a friend, in a discussion about the
\nsavage bombing in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on
\nThursday morning.<\/p>\n
My friend cited the success of Thailand in capturing terror
\nsuspect Hambali last year. The Thai team received a US$10 million
\nbounty from the United States. Should the same tactic be applied
\nin Indonesia, there is a good chance that it would work.<\/p>\n
Indonesian people love prizes, as proved by campaigns to
\nattract shoppers to certain plazas and to sell products. Nothing
\nreels them in like a lucky draw.<\/p>\n
Police could learn from advertising agencies, who plaster
\npamphlets and posters on any available wall space. Or, would
\nGovernor Sutiyoso be disturbed by their prominence, rather than
\na prettier picture of city living?<\/p>\n
Perhaps, police need to psychologically prepare for a little
\nhelp from the public, and not feel slighted if, in the end, they
\ncan't take all the credit for catching the top suspect.<\/p>\n
If National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar's conclusion is
\nproven to be accurate -- that Malaysian-born fugitive Azahari bin
\nHusin was responsible for the savage bombing in front of the
\nAustralian Embassy on Thursday, as well as previous terrorist
\nattacks -- is it not possible that the notorious bomb maker
\nkilled innocent victims to ridicule the police, who regard him as
\nPublic Enemy No. 1?<\/p>\n
Consider the following sequence of events:<\/p>\n
Last Wednesday, journalists discovered National Police bomb
\nsquad chief Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere enjoying coffee with uncuffed
\nconvict Ali Imron -- who was sentenced to life for his role in
\nthe Bali bombings, in which 202 people were killed on Oct. 12,
\n2002 -- in a Starbucks cafe. Police insisted Ali was there partly
\nto make him reveal the whereabouts of Azahari and his compatriot
\nNoordin M. Top.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Jakarta Police Headquarters started the
\nconstruction of a 23-story building to house the counterterror
\ndetachment.<\/p>\n
The bomb attack occurred about 20 minutes after Bachtiar
\nassured the public in a hearing with the House of Representatives
\n(DPR) that everything was \"OK\" ahead of the Sept. 20 presidential
\nelection runoff.<\/p>\n
Where is Azhari hiding now? Antara quoted Bachtiar as saying
\nthat the police had located the house where the two Malaysian
\nterrorists were staying in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. They escaped
\n-- probably while police were busy polishing up two sets of their
\nbest handcuffs. Previously, police claimed they had come close to
\narresting Azahari in Bandung, but the terrorists are slippery as
\neels said this newspaper's editorial on Sept. 6.<\/p>\n
\"Hi, here I am,\" Azahari apparently wanted to jeer at police
\nwith the bomb attack on Thursday.<\/p>\n
After the Bali bombings and JW Marriot hotel bombing last
\nyear, police disseminated to the public -- via the media --
\nsketches of Azahari, Noordin and other suspected terrorists.
\n A few weeks later, the public had forgotten their faces, but
\nsoon, the police will recommence the task of making those
\ncharacteristics nationally recognizable.<\/p>\n
The police often act like Indonesians who have recently been
\nburgled. They tightly guard their houses for several days after
\nthe crime, however, as soon as they let their guard down, the
\nthief strikes again.<\/p>\n
We do believe that police are working hard to obtain more
\ninformation about terror networks in Indonesia and arrest
\nterrorists. With international cooperation, they achieved good
\nresults in investigating the Bali bombings and the Marriot
\nattack.<\/p>\n
Of course, we cannot solely blame the police for failing to
\nprotect us. The security of this country is a mammoth task -- in
\nterms of population and geography -- which cannot be managed by
\nthe police alone. Likewise, we cannot blame police intelligence
\nfor their inability to track down the terrorists. After the Bali
\ntragedy, President Megawati Soekarnoputri declared the National
\nIntelligence Agency (BIN) responsible for the coordination of all
\nintelligence units, including the Indonesian Military's (TNI).<\/p>\n
But, why does Azahari -- whom police believe is still walking
\nfree in Indonesia -- remain untouchable? Speculation is rife, and
\nmany theories are likely absurd. Is it because Azahari is as
\nslippery as an eel? Or is there another reason why he remains
\nfree?<\/p>\n
The government must have the funds to finance a nationwide
\noperation to bring Azahari and other suspected terrorists to
\njustice. Involve the public. Foreign countries are also willing
\nto help, as long as they are sure the money is really being spent
\non the operation. This suggestion is probably too naive and too
\nsimplistic. But we must move forward.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, Azahari would laugh if he happened upon this article.
\nBut we must make all possible efforts to avoid the suffering of
\ninnocent victims and the severe impact of the terrorists'
\ndevilish acts on our country.<\/p>\n
The author is a staff writer of The Jakarta Post.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lucrative-prizes-for-the-terrorists-head-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }