Mega declares RI on full alert<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police claimed on Monday to have come a step closer to locating
\nthe perpetrators of Thursday's bombing outside the Australian
\nEmbassy here, while President Megawati Soekarnoputri declared the
\ncountry fully alert to further acts of violence.<\/p>\n
After chairing a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Megawati said she
\nhad ordered the police and military to increase their vigilance
\nin the coming weeks, which will also see the nation holding its
\npresidential election runoff on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
\"I have instructed all security forces to remain in a state of
\nreadiness across the country, especially around the capital ahead
\nof the runoff,\" Megawati, who is the military's supreme
\ncommander, said.<\/p>\n
Monday was a national holiday.<\/p>\n
Despite the recent bombing, she hoped the coming election
\nwould run as peacefully as previous polls.<\/p>\n
\"I wish to see the increased surveillance of all vital and
\nstrategic installations, embassies, as well as public places,
\nacross the country,\" the President said.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said he had put
\n200,000 officers on guard across the country. Over 200,000
\nmilitary troops will serve as a backup for the police.<\/p>\n
Megawati also called on the people to work closely with
\nsecurity authorities by maintaining their vigilance of suspicious
\npeople around their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, National Police detective chief Comr. Gen.
\nSuyitno Landung Sudjono said investigators were now trying to
\nlocate the last owner of the box van used in the Sept. 9 suicide
\nbomb attack, in which 9 people were killed and over 185 others
\ninjured. Police were also matching the DNA of body parts found at
\nthe blast site with that of family members of terror suspects.<\/p>\n
\"Based on our questioning of the previous owner of the car, we
\nare now tracing people who are suspected of plotting the suicide
\nbombing. We hope we can locate them soon,\" said Suyitno, who
\nleads the probe into last week's bombing.<\/p>\n
Police had questioned a man identified as ES -- who claimed to
\nhave sold the Daihatsu van to a man in March -- as a witness. It
\nis hoped that ES will lead the police to the people responsible
\nfor the blast.<\/p>\n
Suyitno said the investigation revealed that the car was made
\nin 1990 and police had identified its chassis number.<\/p>\n
\"If the police could capture the last owner of the car then we
\ncould also get the other members of the terror group,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police forensics laboratory chief Brig. Gen. Dudon Satyaputra
\nsaid the police would complete matching the DNA of body parts
\nfound at the blast site with the family members of terrorist
\nsuspects within a week.<\/p>\n
Suyitno said the police believed the body parts, now located
\nat the police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, belonged to
\nthe two people who allegedly committed the suicide bombing.<\/p>\n
\"According to the suspects we have detained, the body parts
\nbelonged to two of the three most recent Jamaah Islamiyah
\nrecruits. We have identified their family members so we can
\nverify our findings,\" Suyitno added.<\/p>\n
The police arrested in Sukoharjo, Surakarta, Central Jakarta,
\nin April, five of eight people suspected of planning and
\npreparing the Bali bombings in 2002 and the JW Marriott Hotel
\nattack in Jakarta in 2003.<\/p>\n
A high-ranking police officer, however, told The Jakarta Post
\nthat at least 10 new suicide bombers -- recruited by two
\nMalaysian fugitive bomb experts Azahari bin Husin and Noordin
\nMoh. Top -- remained at large.<\/p>\n
Both Azahari and Noordin are believed to have masterminded the
\nBali and Marriott bombings, in which a total of 214 people were
\nkilled.<\/p>\n
The authorities have warned that the Malaysians are armed with
\nexplosives and planning fresh attacks ahead of the 20 Sept.
\nrunoff.<\/p>\n
Suyitno said police had also found that a rented house on Jl.
\nRaya Enam, RT 004\/RW 09, in West Cengkareng, West Jakarta was the
\nplace where the two Malaysian bomb experts assembled the
\nexplosives.<\/p>\n
\"We found traces of TNT and sulfur in the rented house. The
\nmaterials are similar to substances used in the (Thursday's)
\nblast,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a flammable toxic compound used as a
\nhigh explosive made by a reaction of toluene and nitric acid in
\nthe presence of sulfuric acid. Explosives used in the Bali
\nbombings contained 1.5 kilogram of TNT, as well as RDX
\n(Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine).<\/p>\n
Australian Federal Police have said the bomb that exploded
\nlast week contained 200 kilograms of potassium chlorate, a
\nmaterial to make TNT. However, the National Police would not
\nconfirm that statement.<\/p>\n
More stories, pictures on Page 2, 4, 8<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-declares-ri-on-full-alert-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }