Authorities to continue drive against terrorists

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's intelligence sources have pledged to continue operations against terrorists amidst calls for President Megawati Soekarnoputri to ask for an explanation from the U.S. whether al- Qaeda operatives had a foothold here as alleged by a recent CIA document.

"These (recent arrests) are necessary because these people (terror suspects) have threatened our sovereignty and unity," an intelligence source who asked not to be identified told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He added that "in the very near future, there will be more suspects deported or transported out of Indonesia." He said more arrests would be made based on information from CIA documents, which mentions several other names suspected of links to al- Qaeda, including Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, chairman of the Solo-based Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI).

Meanwhile religious leaders asked Megawati to ask for clear evidence of CIA's allegations against al-Qaeda operatives, which included a plot to assassinate Megawati.

Megawati has yet to comment on anything.

Achmad Sjafi'i Maarif, chairman of the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, and Solahuddin "Gus Solah" Wahid, deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, said that Megawati's silence would only cause uncertainty among the people and pave the way for arbitrary arrests against those who were suspected of terrorism.

"The Indonesian government and all Muslims here should not let themselves be trapped into the U.S. manipulations that might be motivated by a desire to split and destroy the unity of this country.

"Megawati is allowed to accept suggestions from various sources, including the U.S., in line with the country's commitment to fight terrorism, but she has to cross check any information she receives prior to making decisions," Sjafi'i said as quoted by Antara.

Similarly, Gus Solah, also a younger brother of former president Abdurrahman Wahid and deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), asked Megawati to publicly explain how the CIA document -- with reference to this country -- could be credible, considering that "many parties believe it was fabricated by the U.S. for the sake of its own interests."

For nearly a week now the media has carried reports about a leaked CIA document that contained a confession by one Omar al- Faruq of a plot to murder Megawati.

The document includes a summary of the questioning of al- Faruq, said to be an Indonesian arrested and then sent to the U.S. through an intelligence operation in June. There were no explanations as to how the document was made public considering that the U.S. usually declassifies such documents only after 30 years.

The nationality of al-Faruq is still unclear, with some reporting him to be Kuwaiti and believed to be a mid-level operative of the al-Qaeda terrorist network. Others, including his wife Mira Agustine, an Indonesian citizen, claim that he is from the eastern Indonesia city of Ambon.

A military source told the Post that the transfer of al-Faruq to the U.S. was made after the U.S. claimed that he was responsible for several terrorist acts in the U.S. even before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

However, the source refused to go into details on the kind of terror attacks committed by al-Faruq.

Legal experts have slammed the way in which Indonesia's intelligence apparatus is conducting the war on terrorism, including an agreement with several intelligence bodies from Middle Eastern countries to deport and arrest suspected terrorists. According to the experts, the policy is prone to rights abuses.

But Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dismissed the allegations, saying that "Indonesian security officers deserved appreciation for their achievements in uncovering the terrorist network here."

He also denied that CIA officials were involved in al-Faruq's arrest as reported by the media and which had been criticized as a breach of Indonesia's sovereignty by the U.S.

"Al-Faruq's arrest was the result of cooperation between the Indonesian police and intelligence as well as foreign intelligence sources under a cooperation framework in the fight against terrorism," Susilo said as quoted by Antara on Friday.

The police have repeatedly denied involvement and knowledge of al-Faruq's arrest.

Omar al-Faruq was not the only suspected terrorist that has been secretly taken out of the country. Another al-Qaeda suspect, Muhammad Iqbal Saad Madni, 24, was deported to Egypt on board a Gulfstream V flight, only two days after he was arrested on Nov. 9, 2001 by immigration officials at his residence in Matraman, Central Jakarta.

Iqbal, a Pakistani citizen, was expelled under tight security by CIA officers, who later took him to the U.S.

In a latest development, U.S. officials issued another warning on Thursday that credible threats by Muslim extremists could soon target Westerners in Yogyakarta, which is popular with tourists.

The U.S. embassy in Jakarta, which was only reopened recently after a six-day shutdown due to an alleged threat reportedly gleaned from al-Faruq, has cautioned all Americans in the Yogyakarta area to be "vigilant and to take precautions".

The threats may be linked to Laskar Jihad, a radical Islamic group based in the area which has threatened to wage a holy war against Christians, U.S. officials said as quoted by AFP.

Yogyakarta is an ancient sultanate famed for a ninth century Buddhist temple, which is a popular tourist destination.