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.