Batu raid a boost for antiterror squad

Batu raid a boost for antiterror squad

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Having been told of the death of Dr. Azahari in a police raid on
the bombmaker's hideout, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto was
eager to reach Batu in Malang.

"Thank God, after a long manhunt, we finally found him
(Azahari)," Sutanto said.

The credit, however, should go to the police's antiterror unit
known as Detachment 88, which has been hunting down Azahari and
compatriot Noordin M. Top since the Bali blasts in 2002.

Initially, the squad was formed to investigate the 2002 Bali
attacks and capture its masterminds. Therefore, it fell under the
supervision of Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika, who led the
probe into the bombings, which left 202 people dead. Pastika was
assisted by Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere, who on Wednesday led the
raid on Azahari's hideout on Jl. Flamboyan in Batu.

Comprising 400 officers, the antiterror unit was officially
established on Aug. 26, 2003, three weeks after the attack on
Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel. The squad carries out its operations
undercover, and, therefore, avoids publicity.

The United States and other foreign countries played an
important role in the formation of the squad.

Funding and training was provided by the U.S. government due
to the budgetary constraints faced by the Indonesian Police.

Members of the squad were trained by instructors from the U.S.
Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA).

Indonesia is a major recipient of U.S. Antiterrorism
Assistance, a congressionally funded program administered by the
State Department's Office of Diplomatic Security (DS).

ATA in-country training in Indonesia began in 2003. In July
2003 the U.S. program graduated 30 counterterrorism
investigators.

Total funding from the U.S. reached US$8 million last year,
excluding a newly built $3.5 million antiterrorism training
complex in Megamendung, Bogor, West Java.

The squad was successful in its hunt for many perpetrators of
previous bomb attacks but its prime targets Azahari and Noordin,
who apparently trained new recruits while on the run, remained
out of reach.

The squad captured 2002 Bali bombing masterminds Imam Samudra,
Amrozi and Ali Imron, who are now facing execution. The squad
also succeeded in finding the perpetrators of the JW Marriott
Hotel bombing in Jakarta as well as the attack on the Australian
Embassy, in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

They were close to capturing Azahari and Noordin in Bandung in
October 2003, but let them escape to "avoid the deaths of
innocent victims". The two carried backpacks, which police
suspected concealed bombs.

Neta S. Pane of the Indonesian Police Watch praised the
squad's success while reminding the people of its shortcomings.

"It would be better if the police's Mobile Brigade was
incorporated into the antiterror squad to enhance its
capabilities," Neta said.

The Mobile Brigade is the police's strike force, which has
been assigned to duties in Aceh and the former Indonesian
province of East Timor (Timor Leste).

"We no longer need a militaristic police force. We need more
antiterror fighters now," Neta said.