Bush promises to deliver Hambali to Indonesia

Bush promises to deliver Hambali to Indonesia

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Kuta, Bali

United States President George Walker Bush promised on Wednesday
to hand over terrorist suspect Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali,
to Indonesia but failed to give any time frame.

During bilateral talks with President Megawati Soekarnoputri
here on Wednesday, Bush said Hambali would be handed over to
Indonesia once U.S. investigators completed their work.

"In the bilateral talks, President Bush promised that Hambali
will be handed over to us, but in the meantime he will give as
much information as possible regarding the ongoing interrogation
process," Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said after
accompanying Megawati in a meeting with President Bush in Kuta,
Bali, on Wednesday.

The Indonesian-born Hambali was arrested in Thailand on Aug.
11 and is currently in U.S. custody.

He disclosed that in the discussion, Bush also asked for
Indonesia's understanding that it would take some time for
Washington to question Hambali, believed to be the point man of
Osama bin Laden, the principal suspect of terrorist attacks in
New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001.

"President Bush said the investigation differed from a common
police investigation, so it would take more time to conclude the
investigation," the minister said.

This is the second time that Megawati personally asked Bush
about the possibility of Indonesian authorities questioning
Hambali and bringing him home for legal process.

Immediately after news about Hambali's arrest broke out in
August, Megawati called Bush to request access for Indonesian
interrogators.

This was the first time that Bush promised to return Hambali
to Indonesia, even in the absence of an extradition treaty
between the two countries.

"They asked for more time to detain Hambali so that they could
complete the investigation," Hassan said.

Hambali, born Encep Nurjaman, has been declared the main
suspect in dozens of bombings in Indonesia, including the 2000
Christmas Eve bombings, the Oct. 12 Bali nightclub blasts last
year and this year's Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta.

He is also accused of being responsible for many bombings in
the Southeast Asian region as the top operative of the Jamaah
Islamiyah terrorist network.

Indonesia has repeatedly said it has the legal jurisdiction to
question Hambali as he was an Indonesian citizen and was wanted
here on charges of terrorism.

The terrorist suspect was declared an accomplice in the Sept.
11, 2001 terrorist in the U.S., in which more than 3,000 people
were killed.