Da'i meets Powell, fails to secure access to Hambali

Agence France-Presse, Washington

National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar met U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday (Thursday morning Jakarta time), but faced continued U.S. reluctance to hand over alleged terror mastermind Hambali to detectives from Jakarta.

The general did, however, receive a new dose of U.S. praise for efforts to hunt those behind the Bali blasts last year and other terror strikes.

U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to visit Bali during his Asian tour which starts this week, to highlight what he says is Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri's strong support for his antiterror campaign.

Da'i aides said before he traveled to the United States he would press for access to Hambali, born Riduan Isamuddin in West Java, who was arrested in Thailand in August.

Many of the attacks Hambali is accused of masterminding were committed in Indonesia.

But in an interview with SCTV broadcast on Wednesday, Bush gave no promises about granting access to Hambali.

Bush said "right now the key is to find out as much as we possibly can and when we have that information we will share it with her (Megawati)."

Asked if there was no way Indonesia would have direct access, Bush replied: "I wouldn't say no way...right now we are going to get as much information as we can to make sure America is secure and Indonesia is secure.

"Any information we get we will be glad to share with the president. We explained this to her and she understands."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Wednesday he was unable to say if Indonesia would eventually get direct access to Hambali, who is being held by U.S. security forces in an undisclosed location.

Powell expressed "appreciation to Gen. Bachtiar and his staff for the significant strides they've made in disrupting terrorist networks in Indonesia," Boucher said.

"They've also promoted the highly successful investigation, prosecution and sentencing of several planners of the Bali terrorist bombings in October 2002."

Indonesian police arrested 35 people after the bombings which killed 202 people.

Three people have been sentenced to death and many others jailed for the blasts, which are blamed on Jamaah Islamiyah, a regional militant group.

Hambali is also suspected of having a hand in the August bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta which killed 12 people.