Police warn of terror attacks despite JI arrests<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A police spokesman warned the public on Thursday to stay alert
\nagainst future terror attacks despite a major haul this week of
\nJamaah Islamiyah (JI) suspects and the seizure of arms and
\nexplosives.<\/p>\n
"Threats of new attacks always exist. We have to remain
\nvigilant," said National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri
\nLubis.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar has said the seizures
\nindicated that the Southeast Asian terror network Jamaah
\nIslamiyah was planning fresh terrorist attacks before next year's
\ngeneral elections.<\/p>\n
JI is blamed for the bombing of two Bali night spots last
\nOctober which killed 202 people, as well as dozens of other
\ndeadly attacks in recent years.<\/p>\n
A bomb exploded early on Thursday near the United Nations
\nbuilding in Central Jakarta but no one was hurt and the damage
\nwas minimal. Da'i said it was designed to create fear among the
\npublic but he did not know who was responsible.<\/p>\n
Police announced on Wednesday the arrest of 18 suspected JI
\nmembers, including three Bali suspects who will be flown to the
\nresort island for questioning.<\/p>\n
"We were looking for Bali bombing suspects and we found them.
\nIt turned out that they confessed to being members of JI and know
\neach other," Lubis told AFP.<\/p>\n
A fourth suspect is also believed to have taken part in the
\nBali plot but his name could not be revealed, Zainuri said.<\/p>\n
JI's alleged "emir" or leader, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar
\nBa'asyir, went on trial Wednesday for treason and some of the
\nother bombings in recent years. Among the 18 detainees is Abu
\nRusdan, who according to police replaced Ba'asyir as leader after
\nthe old cleric was arrested last October.<\/p>\n
Da'i said reports of Rusdan's status came from detained JI
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
"Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is facing a legal process. They might have
\n(decided to) appoint an interim leader, maybe without a formal
\nletter of appointment," he said.<\/p>\n
The timing of the arrests were probably a deliberate effort to
\nbolster the case against Ba'asyir, said Sidney Jones of the
\nInternational Crisis Group of political analysts.<\/p>\n
"That may well have been a deliberate effort to say the JI
\nindeed exists as an organization and that we have additional
\npeople that may be able to provide evidence on Ba'asyir," she
\ntold AFP.<\/p>\n
But Ba'asyir denied on Thursday the presence of JI, which has
\nbeen placed on the U.N. terrorist blacklist. He also dismissed
\nallegations that he knew all the suspects arrested, including
\nNasser Abas who reportedly he appointed the sub-regional leader
\noverseeing Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sabah and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
According to Hasyim Abdullah, treasurer of Ba'asyir's
\nIndonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI) who has frequently visited
\nthe Muslim cleric during his detention at the National Police
\nheadquarters, Ba'asyir also said that he recognized several of
\nthe 18 JI members recently arrested by police.<\/p>\n
"Pak Ustadz said that he never promoted Abas as a JI sub-
\nregional leader. Meanwhile, Pak Ustadz also said that JI has
\nnever existed," Hasyim told reporters, referring to Ba'asyir with
\na respectful title, after visiting him at his detention.<\/p>\n
Abas is said to be a brother-in-law of Mukhlas, who is a key
\nsuspect in the Bali bombing and one of the 30 people already
\ndetained on the island.<\/p>\n
Police said Abas was also involved in the Atrium mall bombing
\nin Central Jakarta in August 2001.<\/p>",
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