Better intelligence gathering called for

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the international community on Wednesday to co-ordinate and create a global intelligence network that could more effectively fight international terrorism.

Speaking in the opening of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Terrorism in Nusa Dua, Megawati referred to Indonesia's experiences hunting the perpetrators of terrorist attacks in Bali and Jakarta.

With the help of other countries -- Australia, the U.S. and Japan -- Indonesia quickly arrested and put on trial the terrorists who killed more than 200 people in Bali in October 2002, she said. With international help the government also found those responsible for the bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in August last year.

"We need to have a better coordination mechanism so that counter-terrorism operations in this region can be designed and conducted more effectively. I am of the high expectation that, in this conference, you will be able to agree on such a crucial coordination mechanism."

Megawati said terrorist attacks in Bali two years ago had awakened the world to the dangers of terrorism on a global scale.

Indonesia had committed itself to fight terrorism and hunt down all its perpetrators and would never bow to terrorists' threats, she said.

The two-day conference is co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia, and is attended by 250 delegates, including 20 ministers from 26 countries. Representatives from 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are also present.

Among prominent foreign officials attending the meeting are Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer, and U.S. Attorney- General John Ashcroft.

The two top Bali bombing investigators, Bali Police Chief Ins.Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika and Graham Ashton of the Australian Federal Police will also address the conference.

Pastika, who won international praise for the Bali bombing investigation, including praise from U.S. President George W. Bush, said anti-terror fighters had to be willing to change their strategies as quickly as the terrorists changed tactics.

"We never know, the next terrorist attack could be in the form of sabotage or poisoning, so we have to diversify our thinking," Pastika said, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Meanwhile in his speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda told the conference that for the moment, the terrorists were on the run. However, the international community should not lessen its alertness, he said.

"While we must keep vigilant at all times, it takes only one successful attack by terrorists to make their day," Hassan said.

At the conference, Indonesia and Australia signed an initial agreement to exchange information on money laundering and the financing of terrorism, in an addition to eight anti-terrorist agreements already signed by the two countries.

"Cooperation between countries to attack money-laundering activities is a significant contributor to fighting transnational crime, including terrorism," said Australian Attorney General Philip Ruddock, as quoted by Agence France-Pressee.

The two neighbors said their unprecedented joint investigation into the Bali nightclub bombings of October 2002 was a model for bilateral cooperation.

"There's a lot of trust that's developed between the Australian and the Indonesian police through this process," Downer said.

During the meeting, the two countries will propose the creation of an anti-terror center in Indonesia to improve coordination and training among law enforcers.

Downer said that if agreed to, the center could see more Australian federal police officers based in Indonesia as a source of advice and intelligence for the region.

"In our region collectively we have disrupted the Jemaah Islamiyah network through the capture and detention of well over 200 JI members, but we have not disabled it. Key operatives are still at large and JI remains highly resilient and committed to its cause," the minister said.