Hambali and Ba'asyir

Hambali and Ba'asyir

From Media Indonesia

It was interesting to watch Metro TV's evening program on Oct. 28, which featured a story on Omar Al-Farouq, a mysterious figure whose identity remains unclear. A man introduced as somebody who was "close" to Hambali, a figure as mysterious as Al-Farouq, was also interviewed.

This man claims that Hambali had been arrested by the Pandeglang Police early in June 2002 and his whereabouts were not known. The National Police have referred to Hambali's involvement in various acts of violence, or bombings to be more specific, in Indonesia lately. He is reportedly close to Ba'asyir, and to have acted according to instructions from Ba'asyir.

If it is true that the Pandeglang Police have Hambali in custody, why have government officials over the previous weeks told the mass media that Hambali was being hunted down by police as if he is still at large?

This case is becoming more peculiar. Before the Sept. 11 tragedy, nobody had linked Ba'asyir to Hambali. Now, particularly after the Oct. 12 blasts in Bali, Hambali is all at once closely connected to Ba'asyir.

SYAIFUDIN BIDAKARA, Cibinong, West Java