Antiterror team heads to Pakistan
Antiterror team heads to Pakistan
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A an investigation team was dispatched on Tuesday to Pakistan to
meet with five Indonesian madrasah, or Islamist school, students
arrested there for their alleged links to the Jamaah Islamiyah
(JI) terrorist group.
"The main mission of the team is to ascertain the charges of
these students and to ensure that they receive proper treatment
during detention," spokesman of the foreign affairs ministry
Marty Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
He said that Indonesia had no intention of interfering in the
process.
"We respect the ongoing legal process against these people and
understand that no one is above the law," Marty said.
He said the team consisted of two diplomats, two policemen and
one officer from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).
Pakistan arrested six Indonesian students in early and mid-
September for alleged links to JI -- and reportedly al-Qaeda --
both of which are on the UN terrorist list.
The six were identified as Rusman Gunawan alias Gun Gun,
Muhammad Saifuddin, David Pintarto, Furqon Abdullah, Ilham
Sopandi, and Mohammad Anwar As-Sodaqi. Saifuddin was reportedly
released last week.
Gunawan is the brother of Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali, the
alleged operational chief of JI, blamed for a spate of terrorist
attacks in Indonesia, including the deadly Bali bombings last
October 2002 and the JW Marriot Hotel attack last Aug. 5. At
least 202 people were killed in the Bali attacks and 12 in the JW
Marriot bombing.
Hambali's little brother, however, has denied links to any
terrorist network but admitted sending US$50,000 to Hambali, who
is currently being held by U.S. security officials at an
undisclosed location.
Previously, in a meeting between President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on the
sidelines of the 58th United Nations General Assembly in New York
last week, Indonesia asked for access to meet its citizens.
"What we want to ensure is that they have proper treatment
during the detention," Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hassan Wirayuda said.
During the visit to Pakistan, the Indonesian team is slated to
hold meetings with that country's Federal Investigation Agency
and Federal Criminal Agency as well as Pakistani authorities
there.
Later, the same team will travel to Egypt to get first hand
information about another Indonesian terror suspect, identified
only as Idris, who was recently arrested in that country.
"After visiting Karachi, the team will continue its journey to
Cairo to meet Idris and the local authorities regarding the
charges against him," Marty said.
Idris was arrested in Cairo, Egypt for allegedly aiding and
abetting two suspected terrorists.
Marty said the Indonesian government had received assurances
from both Pakistan and Egypt that the team would have access to
the detainees.
"We would like to have first-hand information regarding these
arrests of our citizens, but not to undermine the ongoing legal
process," Mary said.