Govt to form special body to fight terrorism

Govt to form special body to fight terrorism

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government says it will form a special antiterror agency in a
move that is hoped will overcome the lack of coordination between
authorities and different agencies in trying to prevent future
terrorist attacks.

The agency will be supported by "terror desks" set up at the
provincial level. These desks may be placed under the authority
of governors, Coordinating Minister for Security and Political
Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto said after a Cabinet meeting at the
State Palace on Tuesday.

The special antiterror agency would be an expansion of the
current antiterror desk managed by the Office of the Coordinating
Minister for Security and Political Affairs,

"The agency is needed to bridge the current lack of
coordination between law enforcement agencies in trying to
achieve the early detection of terror threats. We expect the
planned agency will play a key role in the fight against
terrorism," said Widodo.

"The central government cannot handle the fight against
terrorism by itself. Provincial administrations must also play a
role in this in order for the effort to be effective, since
Indonesia is a vast country that needs comprehensive
monitoring," he said.

Widodo said the planned agency would coordinate all of the
agencies related with the fight against terrorism, including the
National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National
Intelligent Agency (BIN).

Intelligence reports from the institutions would be
coordinated by the agency for follow-up action in the field, with
the agency also supervising all counterterrorism operations.

Widodo said the technical details of the agency would be
discussed later with related agencies and ministries. The head of
the agency could be drawn from high-ranking officers in the
police or TNI, and would be directly responsible to the
president.

Asked if the agency would have greater authority to detain or
investigate terrorist suspects, Widodo refused to comment, saying
the government had not yet worked out those details.

This new plan comes after the recent bombing in a market in
Tentena, near Poso, Central Sulawesi. Twenty-one people died in
the attack and dozens of others were injured, making it the
deadliest bombing in the country since the Bali bombings in 2002.

Separately, regarding the progress of informal talks between
the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in
Helsinki, Finland, Widodo said the talks were progressing.

"There are points in the talks that can be followed up on
further. However, any peace settlement will include the condition
that GAM accepts special autonomy for Aceh and that it agrees to
permanently end the conflict," said Widodo.

Widodo said there were a number of crucial points being
discussed in the talks, but the government refused to accommodate
GAM's demand for the formation of local political parties and the
holding of local elections.

Also discussed at the talks is the possibility of involving
member states of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations
in monitoring any peace settlement in Aceh. Other countries,
including members of the European Union, may also be welcomed to
play a role in monitoring any peace agreement.