RI demands direct access to Hambali<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The police are demanding for the direct and independent
\ninterrogation of Indonesian-born terror-suspect Riduan Isamuddin
\nalias Hambali, who is currently under United States' custody.<\/p>\n
National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said here on Thursday
\nthat his office would soon send three interrogators to question
\nHambali for his role in a string of terrorist attacks across the
\ncountry, including the deadly Bali bombings and the JW Marriot
\nHotel bombing in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police want direct access to Hambali and to be able to conduct
\nan independent investigation without the presence of U.S.
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
\"This is our case and interests, we want it to be our
\ninterrogation and not a joint questioning,\" the four-star general
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has granted Indonesia access to interrogate Hambali,
\nbut it seems doubtful this will be \"free\" access.<\/p>\n
When Indonesian investigators interviewed suspected terrorist
\nMuhammad al-Faruk last year, they were reportedly accompanied by
\nU.S. officials.<\/p>\n
Da'i said on Thursday, that Washington had given permission
\nand arranged the time for the interrogation.<\/p>\n
\"We are still waiting for the schedule, but we expect that it
\n(the interrogation) will be as soon as possible,\" said Da'i,
\nadding that he had been informed earlier about the permission by
\nthe U.S. ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L.Boyce.<\/p>\n
\"Permission has been granted, but there are processes -- that
\nneed some time to complete -- before we can send the team to
\nquestion Hambali,\" he added.<\/p>\n
As soon as the date of questioning is finalized the names of
\nthe three interrogators will be submitted to U.S. authorities.<\/p>\n
Indonesian authorities have been asking Washington to allow
\nthem to question Hambali, known as the top operative of the
\nJamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network in the Southeast Asia
\nregion.<\/p>\n
The police suspect Hambali of involvement in a series of bomb
\nattacks in the country since 2000.<\/p>\n
Jakarta claims to have legal jurisdiction over Hambali,
\narguing that he is an Indonesian and was responsible for terror
\ncrimes in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Hambali was arrested on Aug. 11 in the town of Ayuthayya,
\nThailand.<\/p>\n
Aside from Indonesia, countries in the region such as the
\nPhilippines and Australia also asked Washington for permission to
\ninterrogate Hambali.<\/p>\n
Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople met on Thursday with
\nthe US envoy to Manila to further the request for access to
\nHambali, indicted in the Philippines for deadly bombings in 2000.<\/p>\n
Ople said Washington has yet to issue a formal response to the
\nrequest forwarded by his office.<\/p>\n
\"We already made an official request for access to Hambali,\"
\nOple told reporters, as quoted by Agence France Press prior to a
\nclosed-door meeting with US envoy to Manila, Francis Ricciardone.<\/p>\n
Ople stressed that Manila has \"a very legal ground\" to gain
\naccess to Hambali, and said that the Philippines' request invokes
\na \"mutual legal assistance treaty\" with the United States, which
\nconsiders President Gloria Arroyo a staunch ally in its global
\ncampaign against terror.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-demands-direct-access-to-hambali-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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