Authority for intelligence

Authority for intelligence

Many people question why our intelligence agencies have found
it so difficult to find all the local terrorist groups.
Intelligence actually puts more emphasis on its support of
information, while further action depends on the government's
decision to respond to the information through its relevant
security arm.

So far, intelligence units have provided considerable
information through their findings of Jamaah Islamiyah in
Semarang. However, this should be followed up not only by the
security agency but also by society, including business
communities with their internal security systems, which should be
more proactive.

The controversy following the bombing of the Marriott Hotel
has indeed caused a major change in the public's security stance.
But when it comes to security and intelligence matters, our
society has a phobia probably owing to the trauma of New Order
regime-style intelligence.

Such an attitude will pose a problem as the present
intelligence service has begun to change in line with the
progress of reform. The bomb threats continue while part of the
public keeps worrying about the old practices of the intelligence
operatives.

Therefore, one should be more realistic by prioritizing public
safety and tranquility through the delegation of greater
authority and more "rights" to the intelligence agency, so as to
prevent bomb threats from haunting us all the time.

It is sufficient to revise the (antiterrorism) Law No. 15/2003
without suspicion, instead of a wholesale adoption of the
Internal Security Act of other countries.

WAWAN H. PURWANTO
Jakarta