Hambali's answer lacking: Da'i

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police have received answers to questions submitted to the United States but find them inadequate to build a strong case against alleged terror kingpin Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali, the leader of regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Thursday that Indonesian investigators would still demand direct access to Hambali, currently in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location.

"They have given us replies, but they are not sufficient on which to base a prosecution. Our interrogators must question him directly to build a case against him," Da'i told a media conference on Thursday.

The police have sought direct access to Indonesian-born Hambali to question him as a suspect in a spate of terrorist attacks across the country, including the Bali bombings on Oct. 12 last year and the JW Marriot Hotel attack on Aug. 5.

At least 202 people were killed in the Bali bombings, and 12 in the Marriot attacks. Police have arrested more than 40 suspects in the two terrorist attacks.

Da'i said under existing laws, prosecutors would indict a suspect on the basis of a police dossier.

He added that Indonesian interrogators faced difficulties in framing their questions for Hambali.

The U.S. has yet to allow Indonesian investigators direct access to Hambali, who is also wanted in several other countries for his alleged involvement in terrorist acts.

"We insist that Hambali be presented before the court here as he was involved in a string of bombings across the country since 2000, including the recent Marriott Hotel bombing," Da'i said.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, meanwhile, said that he had conveyed Indonesia's requests during a recent meeting with U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

But, as Da'i asserted regarding the need to prosecute Hambali, Susilo placed more emphasis on the possibility of future bombings that might be carried out in the country by JI. (changed from "the group".)

"I have told them that Indonesia requires access to Hambali to find out whether JI has plans to bomb more locations in Indonesia," he said.

However, the government could understand that Hambali was currently receiving "special U.S. treatment," Susilo said.

"In the meantime, we have questioned Hambali (via the U.S government)," he said.

The U.S. has provided Indonesia with the result of its interrogation of Hambali. Indonesia has also been allowed to question Hambali indirectly. Isn't this obvious from all that has gone before, and therefore doesn't need to be repeated?

The refusal by the U.S. for Indonesia to have direct access to Hambali, who was captured in Thailand and held in U.S. custody, has irked legislators, who have said it would only hamper the antiterrorism drive here.

JI is believed to have links with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist group, blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks in Washington and New York.