RI minister warns of fresh terror attacks in Southeast Asia<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Manila<\/p>\n
Indonesian security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday
\nwarned that terrorist outfits are plotting fresh attacks across
\nSoutheast Asia despite heavy blows suffered by the Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) group.<\/p>\n
\"They are planning to conduct another strike in the future,
\nnot only in Indonesia but other countries in the region,\"
\nSusilo told AFP in an interview here.<\/p>\n
\"From documents we captured during our investigation, they
\nshowed that terrorist groups are moving back and forth within the
\nregion.\"<\/p>\n
The minister, who called on Philippines President Gloria
\nArroyo here earlier on Monday, urged Southeast Asian governments
\nto \"strengthen our cooperation -- intelligence, police and other
\ntechnical cooperation to fight terrorism which is the number one
\nthreat in the region.\"<\/p>\n
\"The only answer is we should unite as a regional community
\nand take collective action to prevent and deter and defeat
\nterrorism.\"<\/p>\n
Susilo's warning echoed an advisory issued by the U.S. state
\ndepartment last week.<\/p>\n
It said the JI still had Americans in its sights after attacks
\non two Bali nightclubs last year and a U.S.-run hotel in Jakarta
\nearlier this month, while the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf
\nguerrilla group could target Americans both in the Philippines
\nand Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. Government believes extremist elements may be
\nplanning additional attacks targeting U.S. interests in
\nIndonesia, particularly U.S. Government officials and
\nfacilities,\" the state department said.<\/p>\n
It particularly mentioned so called \"soft-targets\" like bars,
\nnightclubs and churches, which could attract terrorists since
\nU.S. installations were better secured.<\/p>\n
The warning also cited \"a risk of kidnappings by the Abu
\nSayyaf terrorist group in the border areas of Indonesia near
\nMalaysia and the Philippines.\"<\/p>\n
Alleged JI operations chief Hambali, an Indonesian also known
\nas Riduan Isamuddin, was arrested in Thailand on Aug. 11 and is
\nnow in U.S. custody in a secret location.<\/p>\n
One Indonesian JI militant has been sentenced to death for the
\nBali bombings, with prosecutors also seeking the death penalty
\nfor a second of several suspects now on trial.<\/p>\n
Susilo said the Philippines and Indonesia would cooperate and
\nexchange information \"as quickly as possible if we have any
\ninformation on the presence of several dangerous men.\"<\/p>\n
He said the terrorist watchlist included two Malaysians and an
\nIndonesian who he did not name.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian authorities earlier said Malaysian Azahari bin
\nHusin is thought to have built the bomb that killed 12 people at
\nthe Marriott Hotel in Jakarta last month, with help from another
\nMalaysian suspect named Noordin Muhammad Top.<\/p>\n
Manila and Jakarta also \"agreed to enhance cooperation on how
\nwe should capture Al-Ghozi,\" Susilo said, referring to convicted
\nIndonesian JI bomber Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, who escaped from a
\nPhilippines jail in July.<\/p>\n
Susilo pledged to Arroyo Jakarta's \"assistance and cooperation
\nin the manhunt for Al-Ghozi,\" Arroyo's National Security Adviser
\nRoilo Golez said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Al-Ghozi and two Filipino Abu Sayyaf guerrillas escaped from a
\npolice prison in Manila on July 14.<\/p>\n
He had been serving a 17-year prison term for procuring more
\nthan a tonne of explosives, which Al-Ghozi subsequently confessed
\nwas to have been used in a bombing campaign in Singapore.<\/p>\n
He also said some of the explosives were used in a wave of
\nbombings that killed 22 people in Manila in December 2000.<\/p>\n
One of the two rebels who escaped with him was subsequently
\nshot dead on the southern island of Mindanao last month.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-minister-warns-of-fresh-terror-attacks-in-southeast-asia-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}