Police up intelligence operations after threat against U.S. mission<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
National Police are intensifying undercover operations following
\nintelligence information claiming that a terrorist group under
\nthe leadership of Malaysian fugitive Azahari bin Husin possesses
\na map of the United States embassy in Jakarta, which prompted the
\nclosure of U.S. missions across the country.<\/p>\n
\"Based on the information, the U.S. embassy closed its
\nmissions,\" National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on
\nFriday, adding that police intelligence operations were underway
\nto find the whereabouts of the group.<\/p>\n
Members of the Azahari group, said Da'i, quoting the
\nintelligence analysis, may target the U.S. embassy and there has
\nbeen increasingly frequent communication between them indicating
\nthat they were planning another strike.<\/p>\n
The U.S. government closed its missions in Indonesia
\nindefinitely on Thursday due to an unspecified security threat.
\nThe closure came as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was making
\nhis landmark visit to Washington.<\/p>\n
The police have said that the Azahari group, named after the
\nman who is wanted for allegedly masterminding a spate of bombings
\nover the past three years, planned to launch an attack on a
\nnumber of oil refineries in Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Da'i said police were suspicious that the information on a
\npossible strike on U.S. property might be a tactic to divert
\nsecurity authorities' attention from their real attack target.<\/p>\n
\"We consider the information a possible attempt to mislead the
\npolice,\" said Da'i, quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he added, police have stepped up precautionary
\nmeasures to protect foreign missions and facilities as well as
\npublic facilities here.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police have deployed 170 officers and two armored
\npersonnel carriers to guard the U.S. embassy in Jakarta following
\nits closure on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for Jakarta Police Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said the heavy
\npolice presence would be maintained until Tuesday, but would be
\nextended if necessary.<\/p>\n
On normal days only between 10 to 20 officers plus an armored
\npersonnel carrier are stationed at the embassy.<\/p>\n
Tjiptono added that the number of officers could be increased
\nbased on the situation.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police have also beefed up security measures at other
\nembassies, placing up to 20 Mobile Brigade elite units and an
\narmored car at each of the foreign missions.<\/p>\n
In addition, police are also conducting impromptu checks on
\nmotorists.<\/p>\n
An Indonesian-language website offered chilling instructions
\non how to attack a U.S. Embassy with rocket launchers or a
\nsuicide bomb, along with a diagram that purports to identify the
\nambassador's office.<\/p>\n
The diagram was posted on a web page using a free domain
\nprovider in the Pacific island of Nauru. The domain, co.nr, is
\namong many that allow anyone with a valid e-mail account to
\ncreate a web page, often without verifying the identity of the
\nauthor.<\/p>\n
According to information registered with co.nr, the page was
\nfirst posted early Wednesday. The registered owner is listed as a
\nMalaysian.<\/p>\n
The site was periodically unavailable on Friday, but a worker
\nat co.nr said in an e-mail that it had no immediate plan to
\nterminate the site's account.<\/p>\n
Under the banner \"Brigade Istimata International,\" the site
\nshows a floor plan with labels that describe an ambassador's
\noffice, staff room and the locations of cameras and metal
\ndetectors.<\/p>\n
The page doesn't specify that the floor plan is the U.S.
\nembassy in Jakarta, and it wasn't clear if the plan was accurate
\nfor any U.S. embassy.<\/p>\n
\"The use of the suicide bomber is possible,\" the site says,
\nnoting the blast impact from 150 kilograms of TNT could be more
\nthan 30 meters. It also says: \"Using a grenade launcher is an
\neffective measure.\"<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the U.S. embassy told The Associated Press
\nthat officials were aware of the web page but declined to comment
\nfurther.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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