Lucrative prizes for the terrorists' head

Lucrative prizes for the terrorists' head

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta

Dr. Azahari and others suspected of terrorism have stayed a
step ahead of the police for two years. So, why haven't the
police asked for the public's help to apprehend them?

It's a very serious matter for Indonesia and the international
community: Terrorist attacks are claiming more victims, and no
one knows when the killing will stop.

"Post sketches of him in public places so that people know
what he looks like, and offer cash prizes for those who can lead
the way to his arrest," said a friend, in a discussion about the
savage bombing in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on
Thursday morning.

My friend cited the success of Thailand in capturing terror
suspect Hambali last year. The Thai team received a US$10 million
bounty from the United States. Should the same tactic be applied
in Indonesia, there is a good chance that it would work.

Indonesian people love prizes, as proved by campaigns to
attract shoppers to certain plazas and to sell products. Nothing
reels them in like a lucky draw.

Police could learn from advertising agencies, who plaster
pamphlets and posters on any available wall space. Or, would
Governor Sutiyoso be disturbed by their prominence, rather than
a prettier picture of city living?

Perhaps, police need to psychologically prepare for a little
help from the public, and not feel slighted if, in the end, they
can't take all the credit for catching the top suspect.

If National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar's conclusion is
proven to be accurate -- that Malaysian-born fugitive Azahari bin
Husin was responsible for the savage bombing in front of the
Australian Embassy on Thursday, as well as previous terrorist
attacks -- is it not possible that the notorious bomb maker
killed innocent victims to ridicule the police, who regard him as
Public Enemy No. 1?

Consider the following sequence of events:

Last Wednesday, journalists discovered National Police bomb
squad chief Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere enjoying coffee with uncuffed
convict Ali Imron -- who was sentenced to life for his role in
the Bali bombings, in which 202 people were killed on Oct. 12,
2002 -- in a Starbucks cafe. Police insisted Ali was there partly
to make him reveal the whereabouts of Azahari and his compatriot
Noordin M. Top.

On Wednesday, Jakarta Police Headquarters started the
construction of a 23-story building to house the counterterror
detachment.

The bomb attack occurred about 20 minutes after Bachtiar
assured the public in a hearing with the House of Representatives
(DPR) that everything was "OK" ahead of the Sept. 20 presidential
election runoff.

Where is Azhari hiding now? Antara quoted Bachtiar as saying
that the police had located the house where the two Malaysian
terrorists were staying in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. They escaped
-- probably while police were busy polishing up two sets of their
best handcuffs. Previously, police claimed they had come close to
arresting Azahari in Bandung, but the terrorists are slippery as
eels said this newspaper's editorial on Sept. 6.

"Hi, here I am," Azahari apparently wanted to jeer at police
with the bomb attack on Thursday.

After the Bali bombings and JW Marriot hotel bombing last
year, police disseminated to the public -- via the media --
sketches of Azahari, Noordin and other suspected terrorists.
A few weeks later, the public had forgotten their faces, but
soon, the police will recommence the task of making those
characteristics nationally recognizable.

The police often act like Indonesians who have recently been
burgled. They tightly guard their houses for several days after
the crime, however, as soon as they let their guard down, the
thief strikes again.

We do believe that police are working hard to obtain more
information about terror networks in Indonesia and arrest
terrorists. With international cooperation, they achieved good
results in investigating the Bali bombings and the Marriot
attack.

Of course, we cannot solely blame the police for failing to
protect us. The security of this country is a mammoth task -- in
terms of population and geography -- which cannot be managed by
the police alone. Likewise, we cannot blame police intelligence
for their inability to track down the terrorists. After the Bali
tragedy, President Megawati Soekarnoputri declared the National
Intelligence Agency (BIN) responsible for the coordination of all
intelligence units, including the Indonesian Military's (TNI).

But, why does Azahari -- whom police believe is still walking
free in Indonesia -- remain untouchable? Speculation is rife, and
many theories are likely absurd. Is it because Azahari is as
slippery as an eel? Or is there another reason why he remains
free?

The government must have the funds to finance a nationwide
operation to bring Azahari and other suspected terrorists to
justice. Involve the public. Foreign countries are also willing
to help, as long as they are sure the money is really being spent
on the operation. This suggestion is probably too naive and too
simplistic. But we must move forward.

Perhaps, Azahari would laugh if he happened upon this article.
But we must make all possible efforts to avoid the suffering of
innocent victims and the severe impact of the terrorists'
devilish acts on our country.

The author is a staff writer of The Jakarta Post.