RI, Australia form joint team to probe Bali attack<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Australia agreed on Wednesday to the establishment
\nof a joint team to probe the Bali bomb blasts.<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached during discussions between
\nAustralian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Indonesian
\nofficials in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
It was hoped the cooperation would facilitate the speedy
\nsolving of the horrendous terror attack.<\/p>\n
"Today, we agreed that Indonesia and Australia will establish
\na joint investigation and intelligence team to work through the
\nissue following the tragedy in Bali," Downer said.<\/p>\n
"We share the burden of ensuring that between us and with the
\nsupport of other countries, to hunt down and bring to justice
\nthose people responsible for this terrible tragedy," he said
\nafter meeting President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
He said the Australian government appreciated the spirit of
\ncooperation expressed by the Indonesian government to solve the
\ntragedy.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda said the
\ndecision was based on a Memorandum of Understanding on
\ncounterterrorism signed by the two governments in February.<\/p>\n
The minister said the MoU allowed the two governments to
\nconduct joint intelligence operations if needed in certain
\ncircumstances.<\/p>\n
"However, there is a time and place limitation as well as
\ncommand and control arrangement in the joint probe team and
\nIndonesia police remain the leaders of the investigation," Hassan
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said Australian intelligence continued working on the
\nground in Bali, under the coordination of Indonesian authorities.<\/p>\n
"We are still discussing the mechanism on how the joint team
\nwill operate ... however, the perpetrators will be tried here in
\nIndonesia," Hassan said.<\/p>\n
Currently there are more than 40 Australian police involved in
\nthe investigation of the attack, which has claimed at least 180
\nlives and injured hundreds of others.<\/p>\n
Most of the victims are Australian. Indonesia's neighbor
\naccount for around 70 percent of foreign tourists visiting the
\nresort island.<\/p>\n
The huge number of Australian victims was one of many reasons
\nfor Canberra's insistence on joining investigation efforts.<\/p>\n
Bilateral relations between the two countries has often been
\nrocky, with the recent terrorism issues placing more tension on a
\nrelationship which deteriorated after Australia expressed support
\nfor the independence of East Timor in 1999.<\/p>\n
Despite the strains, economic and person-to-person links
\nremain strong with total trade between the two countries valued
\nat up to US$3.87 billion per year.<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, during his visit to
\nIndonesia in February, said the relationship "needs careful
\nattention, you can never take it for granted."<\/p>\n
Downer said on Wednesday that the recent Bali tragedy should
\nbe seen as a team effort to respond to a horrific crisis.<\/p>\n
"There is no doubt that the incident has been as great a shock
\nto Indonesians as it has been to Australians."<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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