Jamaah Islamiyah operating in Indonesia: Police

Jamaah Islamiyah operating in Indonesia: Police

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following a one-month inquiry into the deadly Bali bombing, the
National Police announced it had strong evidence the outlawed
Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) of Malaysia had expanded its operations
into Indonesia.

Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika, who heads the Bali bombing
inquiry, said the results of the investigation also found the
Bali bombings were related to a string of explosions around the
country over the past few years.

"Hambali, a top JI operative in Southeast Asia, is the real
mastermind of Batam bomb blasts (on Christmas Eve 2000)," said
the general during a press conference here on Friday.

The results of the police inquiry put to rest widespread doubt
about whether JI, which has been linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist
network led by Osama bin Laden, exists in Indonesia, he said.

The country's top security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
earlier expressed doubt about the existence of JI in Indonesia.
At the same time, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil was
accusing JI of being responsible for the Bali tragedy.

On Thursday, lawyer Nasrun Kalianda, who represents Imam
Samudra, the main suspect in the Bali bombing, quoted his client
as saying that Hambali and seven other people were responsible
for the Batam bomb blasts.

According to Nasrun, his client identified those responsible
for the attack as Hambali, who was the main planner; Mahmud, who
was an adviser; Furqon, the executor; Tarmizi, who made the
bombs; Abdul Zabir, who smuggled in the detonator from the nearby
Sekupang; Syahid Jabir, who raised the funds for the attack; and
DR. Azhari, who provided spiritual guidance.

Samudra said he functioned as both planner and executor in the
attack.

According to the lawyer, Samudra said Hambali, Azhari and
himself held several meetings between October and December 2000
on Batam to make the necessary preparations to bomb several
churches on the industrial island.

However, Samudra now says he masterminded the Batam bombings,
which he claimed earlier had been masterminded by Hambali.

Pastika said the police had confirmed that Hambali was
directly involved in the Batam bombings, acting as the
mastermind. He also said Hambali's position in JI had been taken
over by Mukhlas, the elder brother of Amrozi, another main
suspect in the Bali bomb blasts.

The report that Mukhlas has replaced Hambali as the top JI
operative in the region was obtained from various intelligence
sources, according to Pastika.

"Hambali was just replaced because he was wanted by the
police," the officer said.

Pastika, who led the probe into the murder of proindependence
Papuan leader Dortheys Hiyo Eluway last year, said his team had
found evidence linking the Batam bombings with bombings in
Jakarta and the Bali bombing.

"For example, Samudra, the main planner in the Bali bombing,
is closely connected with the Batam bombings," said Pastika.

Pastika also said Mukhlas, alias Ali Ghufron, visited
Indonesia sometime prior to the Bali bombing last October.

Despite the progress so far made in the investigation, Pastika
acknowledged the police were still in the dark about whether JI
was directly involved in the Bali attack, which killed almost 200
people and wounded more than 320 others.

It also remains unclear whether Muslim cleric and alleged JI
spiritual leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who is in police custody,
was involved in the Bali bombing.

"Imam always refuses to answer interrogators' questions about
his superiors," said Pastika.

Pastika confirmed that Malaysian authorities had arrested four
JI members for their alleged involvement in bomb blasts in
Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. He said the police would
cooperate with Malaysia to exchange information about the
suspects.

Regarding the development of the Bali investigation, Pastika
said Samudra would be taken from Jakarta to Bali to cross-check
his story with that of Amrozi, who is in the custody of the Bali
Police. He refused to say when the suspect would be transported
to Bali.

Graham Ashton, an assistant commissioner from the Australian
Federal Police who accompanied Pastika at the press conference,
said Australian assistance was confined to the investigation into
the Bali attack.