Sutanto calls on ASEAN countries to stay alert for terror attacks<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Sutanto called on Southeast Asian
\ncountries on Thursday to be vigilant in the face of possible
\nterror attacks following a series of bombings here.<\/p>\n
Sutanto said closer cooperation between police forces in the
\nregion was necessary as terrorists worked beyond state
\nboundaries.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been fighting the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist
\nnetwork Jamaah Islamiyah, which operates across Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
\"We continue to obtain and receive information that
\ninternational terrorists are involved in many attacks and bomb
\nblasts in Indonesia. Their involvement extends to the provision
\nof training, finance, bomb making materials and personnel,\"
\nSutanto told an international police forum.<\/p>\n
Chiefs of ASEAN and Australian police forces are attending the
\ntwo-day meeting, which concludes on Friday.<\/p>\n
Sutanto pleaded with police chiefs for assistance in combating
\nterrorism in the region by strengthening cooperation and
\ncoordination between them.<\/p>\n
He did not elaborate on his statement, but asserted that there
\nwas an urgent need to establish a working level mechanism for the
\neffective exchange of information and prompt cooperation.<\/p>\n
Sutanto suggested the adoption of a post-terrorist attack
\nprocedure that would serve as the basis for effective
\ncollaboration between an affected country and other ASEAN
\ncountries, or with non-ASEAN countries that are in a position to
\nprovide assistance.<\/p>\n
\"Specialist police units such as terrorism strike units, crime
\nscene forensic units, bomb expert units, victim identification
\nunits, special intelligence units and technical surveillance
\nunits have been supplied by police forces around the globe,
\nincluding some ASEAN member countries and the Australian Federal
\nPolice in the past,\" Sutanto said.<\/p>\n
Such multinational collaboration was last seen in Bali after
\nthree suicide bombers attacked in three restaurants in Jimbaran
\nand Kuta on Oct. 1, killing 20 other people.<\/p>\n
Sutanto also invited police officers from ASEAN countries and
\nAustralia to share ideas and knowledge at the police antiterror
\ntraining center in Semarang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
The meeting comes on the heels of a police raid on the hide-
\nout of fugitive terrorist suspect Azahari bin Husin, who was
\nresponsible for three major bomb attacks in the country that
\nkilled hundreds of people over the past three years. Azahari died
\nin the shoot-out, while the police are still hunting down his
\nMalaysian compatriot Noordin M. Top.<\/p>\n
Sutanto had warned of possible retaliation by Noordin and the
\nrest of his network.<\/p>\n
In video footage shown at the official residence of Vice
\nPresident Jusuf Kalla on Wednesday, a hooded man believed to be
\nNoordin threatened American, Australian, British and Italian
\nnationals in the country since they were considered torturing
\nMuslims around the world.<\/p>\n
Responding to the threat, Sutanto said it was the police's
\nresponsibility to protect people living in the country,
\nregardless of their nationalities.<\/p>\n
He also urged Noordin to give himself up to the police since
\nhis partner had died.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that he realizes what he has been doing is wrong and
\nimmediately surrenders himself to the police,\" Sutanto said.<\/p>\n
In a separate interview, Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. I Made
\nMangku Pastika expressed optimism that terrorism activities would
\ndecline following Azahari's death. However, police should stay
\nalert for possible attacks from Azahari's followers, he added.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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