Intelligence set to counter terrorism
JAKARTA (JP): Responding to the increasing number of terrorist attacks in the country, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed all branches of the security forces to mobilize their intelligence potential to prevent further outrages.
At a meeting on political and security affairs on Tuesday, his spokesman I Wayan Karya said that Susilo had briefed military and police chiefs as well as all related officials and ministers about security priorities, including how to combat political crimes and terrorism in order to create a more conducive situation in the country.
"Pak Susilo said that all intelligence officers from the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), and other relevant institutions must be put on high alert as we have to deal with such political crimes and terrorist activities," Wayan said.
The issue of terrorism has came to the surface after the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta warned Americans in the country on Saturday of the possibility that "extremist elements" could launch anti- American attacks here.
A similar warning was issued by the British Embassy here on Tuesday. The embassy warned its citizens in the country that they may be the targets of a "terrorist threat."
"The U.S. government believes there is a heightened terrorist threat to U.S. interests, including in Indonesia, at the moment ... The organizations who comprise the biggest threat to the U.S. regard the U.K. as a secondary target," stated an advisory posted at the embassy's website www.britain-in- indonesia.or.id.
A reliable military intelligence source told The Jakarta Post that the military had foiled four terrorist acts in the capital, including planned bomb attacks on the U.S. Embassy, the American Club, and Hotel Indonesia, all in Central Jakarta.
He further revealed that terrorists, linked to Middle Eastern networks, were especially targeting Americans and other European people in the country as they were the terrorists' "major enemy."
"They have no design to destroy the government. They are just using our unstable security situation as a chance to beat their enemy, that is the United States and other European countries, by attacking their people and assets here," he said.
The source also implied that the terrorists had also planned to kidnap some U.S. citizens here.
"We have also indications that these terrorists have links with terrorists in the Middle East. But as they have specific characteristics, especially their Arab appearances, they use Malaysian terrorists to conduct clandestine operations here," he said.
Speaking to reporters at Susilo's office, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb confirmed that the police had arrested four Malaysians over the recent bombing of the Santa Anna Catholic church and the Huriah Batak Protestant (HKBP) church in East Jakarta, and the Atrium Plaza shopping complex in Central Jakarta.
Sofjan identified the four as Dani alias Taufik, Darwin alias Asep, Diki alias Rusli, and Agus alias Abas.
They left Johor in May, 2000, heading to Nunukan, East Kalimantan. Then they continued their journey to Sulawesi, from where some of them joined the local jihad force in the Maluku provinces, while some others traveled on to Jakarta.
"These people come from a hard-line jihad group in Malaysia with a mission to wage war against a certain religion," Sofjan said.
Malaysian foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted by AP as saying on Monday that the main suspect in the bombing was a member of a 10-man group called Kumpulan Jihad, or Group for Holy War.
Syed Hamid claimed the group had planned to continue its jihad in Malaysia.
Separately, legislator Yasril Ananta Baharuddin of the Golkar party said the warning issued by the U.S. and British governments to their citizens and the capture of Malaysians allegedly being involved in bombings here were no strong grounds for believing that Indonesia had fallen prey to international terrorist groups.
"However, we should be vigilant over the possibility," he told the Post.
Yasril suspected that the warning issued by the U.S. embassy was a tactic employed by U.S. ambassador Robert S. Gelbard to attract the world's attention as the end of his tenure drew near.
"What is the point of targeting U.S. interests in Indonesia? I hope his successor knows Indonesia better than he does," he said.
Skepticism was also aired by Syamsu Rizal Panggabean, head of Gadjah Mada University's Center for Security and Peace Studies. He said he saw no grounds for terrorists to target American citizens in Indonesia.
"In recent incidents, the targets have always been Indonesians, not foreigners," he said. (tso/rms/swa)