Govt vows united action in fighting terrorism

Govt vows united action in fighting terrorism

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government pledged on Monday to take united action in
eradicating terrorists, whom a minister said were linked to al-
Qaeda, in particular those who masterminded the bomb attacks in
Bali that have left at least 183 people dead.

Acknowledging the weaknesses of the country's security
services, President Megawati Soekarnoputri ordered the police and
military to team up in investigating the blast. Megawati said the
police would spearhead the probe.

Speaking during a press conference after a Cabinet meeting on
Monday, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the government would establish
a system to properly manage the intelligence services.

"The police and the military with its intelligence service
(BAIS) will intensify cooperation in detecting possible threats
in the future," Susilo remarked.

While others government officials were cautious about blaming
a particular group of perpetrating the bombing, defense minister
Matori Abdul Djalil said he had no hesitation in linking the bomb
blast to al-Qaeda, the Muslim group accused of bomb attacks in
the United States last year.

"With such a huge blast, the bombing was carried out by a
professional terrorist network and I am prepared to say that al-
Qaeda in Indonesia really exists," he said after the Cabinet
meeting.

But Matori fell short of elaborating on whether he or the
government had evidence that al-Qaeda was operating in Indonesia.

In Denpasar, Indonesian flags were lowered to half-staff on
Monday in various parts of the city.

The flags dotted streets in downtown Denpasar, and also in
several suburban areas, such as Tohpati in the city's eastern
outskirts. Students of the Udayana University erected a billboard
in front of their main campus building on Jl. Sudirman, where
they expressed their sympathy for the victims of the bombing.

"We just want to express our condolences to the bombing
victims and their families. Lowering the flags and erecting the
billboard is our way of saying that we are very sorry that this
tragedy has befallen them," a student said.

Several community groups expressed their condolences by
organizing a joint prayer session. In Danes Art Veranda, poets,
actors, performers and painters gathered on Monday evening to
pray and perform.

The Cabinet meeting on Monday decided on a security management
arrangement where the Indonesian Military (TNI) would focus on
guarding vital installations, and the police on the security of
the cities.

Susilo underlined that the tragedy should bring the whole
country together and put it on alert for further threats.

He also called on the House of Representatives to support the
government, especially by passing the antiterrorism bill that is
currently under discussion.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said
later in the day the draft of antiterrorism law had already been
completed and would be presented to Megawati on Tuesday.

Regarding the investigation process, National Police Chief
Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that currently the police were looking
for an Indonesian citizen whose identity card was found near the
scene.

"We are still trying to locate the man, we cannot say whether
he will be a suspect or just a witness in the case," he said,
adding that there was also the possibility that the man was among
the victims.

Da'i said that the police were cooperating with the Australian
Federal Police, United States Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), while a British police team would enter the country
immediately.

"The authority over the investigation remains in our hands,
but due to our limited capabilities, we need to have technical
cooperation with them," Da'i remarked.

During the press briefing, the general also publicly
apologized for the incident. "We are truly sorry, we tried our
best but still the incident happened," he remarked.

Police announced later in the day that C4 was the material
used to make the bomb that exploded in Bali. The same substance
was used in the bomb that went off at the Philippine ambassador's
residence on Jl. Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, two years ago. The
incident remains unresolved.

The government, however, refrained from mentioning the group
that would be the focus of investigation, even after Australian
and the U.S. specifically mentioned al-Qaeda and Abu Bakar
Ba'asyir as being behind the attack.

"We will crack down any groups behind the attack. There will
be no impunity for them," Susilo remarked.

Vice President Hamzah Haz renewed his defense of Muslim hard-
line groups at home, dismissing the possibility of their
involvement in the blast.

Suspecting that the incident was engineered, Hamzah asserted
that it had nothing to do with the leaders of Islamic hard-line
groups, including the chairman of the Indonesian Mujahidin
Council (MMI), Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, head of the Ahlussunah Wal
Jamaah, Djafar Umar Talib and chief of the Islam Defenders' Front
(FPI), Habib Rizieq.