Decision to bomb churches made in November 2000, police say

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Abdul Jabar, one of the suspects in the 2000 Christmas Eve bombings, told police investigators that the final decision to launch a bomb attack to churches across the capital was made during a meeting in November 2000 in East Jakarta.

"Jabar told police investigators that he had a meeting with other bombers in a house on Jl. Anggrek No. 4 in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, in November 2000 to plan the bombings targeting churches," City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo told The Jakarta Post Thursday.

During the meeting, the group decided on the target churches and named Usman as field coordinator, Prasetyo quoted Jabar as saying.

Present at the meeting were: Imam Samudra, the alleged mastermind behind the Bali bombings; Dulmatin, who allegedly made the bombs; Abdul Jabar; Umar Arab; Abdullah, alias Darwin, alias Asep; and Usman, alias Dedi Setiono, alias Abas.

Prasetyo said Jabar was responsible for the bombings targeting Koinonia Church on Jl. Matraman Raya, East Jakarta, and the Anglican church in Central Jakarta.

The attack on Koinonia church injured 10 people and damaged two cars. However, the police's bomb squad managed to defuse a bomb package planted at the Anglican church. The bomb was wrapped up in a blue bag and contained 800 grams of trinitrotoluene (TNT), 15 kilograms of gun powder, a detonator, a digital clock and 40 ball bearings.

In addition to the two churches, the bombers managed to detonate bombs at Santo Yoseph Church in Matraman, East Jakarta, at Kanisius College Chapel in Menteng, Central Jakarta, at Kathedral Church in Central Jakarta, and at a church in Halim Perdanakusumah, East Jakarta.

The blast at Santo Yoseph killed four people, while in other bomb attacks, dozens were injured.

The bombings in Jakarta were part of a wave of Christmas Eve bombing attacks across the country, including in Batam, Bandung, Mataram, Sukabumi, Mojokerto and Pekanbaru, killing a total of 15 people and leaving many others injured.

Earlier, Jabar admitted that he was also ordered by Samudra to purchase 10 devices to be used as detonators in the attacks.

Jabar, 35, and other bombing suspects also used Jabar's home on Jl. Cikini No. 58 in Central Jakarta as a reconnaissance and meeting point.

Police alleged earlier that the Christmas Eve bomb attacks were "the results of activities by the Jemaah Islamiyah network."

Jabar, who had been on the run for three years, surrendered to police in West Nusa Tenggara last week.

Police said Jabar was charged with illegal possession of explosives according to Emergency Law No. 12/1951, which carries a maximum death sentence.