RI interested in interrogating Hambali<\/p>\n
Febiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government wants access to terror suspect Hambali,
\ncurrently in U.S. custody, to question him about a string of
\nattacks in the country, including the Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel
\nbombing that killed 12 people and injured more than 140 others.<\/p>\n
Thai authorities confirmed that Hambali, an Indonesian, was
\nhanded over to the United States after he was arrested in the
\nancient temple city of Ayutthaya on Monday, and that the
\nsuspect was being interrogated at an undisclosed location in
\nThailand.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that Indonesia
\nwas very interested in questioning Hambali, and wanted to bring
\nhim home for trial.<\/p>\n
"We want access and, if possible, we wish to take Hambali back
\nto Indonesia for trial," Da'i said after a series of limited
\nmeetings with President Megawati Soekarnoputri and security
\nministers on Saturday.<\/p>\n
"This man (Hambali) is thought to be tied to a series of
\nbombings in Indonesia since 2000, to have been the man behind the
\nBali blasts and may be behind the Marriott bombing. We have
\nprepared officers to question him," Da'i said.<\/p>\n
Hambali is believed to be the top operative of the Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) terrorist network in Southeast Asia, and is
\nalleged to be the architect of the bloody Bali blasts.<\/p>\n
Born Encep Nurjaman in the village of Sukamanah in Cianjur,
\nWest Java, Hambali is also allegedly tied to the Sept. 11, 2001,
\nterrorist attacks in New York and Washington.<\/p>\n
He was arrested in Ayutthaya in a joint operation between
\nThailand and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).<\/p>\n
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Saturday
\nHambali had been planning attacks during the Asia Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for October in
\nBangkok.<\/p>\n
"We arrested two or three suspects before we managed to arrest
\nHambali .... Intelligence gathering clearly showed that they were
\nplanning to do something which I do not want to elaborate on,"
\nThaksin said during a weekly radio address, as quoted by AFP.<\/p>\n
Hambali's current location is being kept a closely guarded
\nsecret.<\/p>\n
"We have not yet been informed about the whereabouts of
\nHambali, but we assure you that Indonesia is interested in
\ngaining access to question him," Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.<\/p>\n
Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri would contact her Thai counterpart about being
\ngiven access to Hambali.<\/p>\n
"Diplomatic efforts to gain access to interrogate Hambali will
\nbe conducted at the presidential level and also through my
\noffice," Hassan said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said
\nthe government had jurisdiction to try Hambali under Law No.
\n15\/2002 on terrorism.<\/p>\n
"The law applies to all Indonesians, living here or abroad,
\nallegedly involved in terrorism," the minister said.<\/p>\n
However, he said Indonesia did not have an extradition treaty
\nwith the U.S., and it was the Thai government's decision whether
\nor not to hand the suspect over to the U.S.<\/p>\n
Former minister of defense Juwono Sudarsono said trying
\nHambali in Indonesia would help refute conspiracy theories that
\nthe U.S. created JI and was itself behind the bombings in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
"Should the Americans keep him it would seem to confirm those
\nconspiracy theories," the Indonesian Ambassador to England told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-interested-in-interrogating-hambali-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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