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.