Marriott bombing suspects well-versed in JI doctrine
Marriott bombing suspects well-versed in JI doctrine
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police revealed on Tuesday that all arrested suspects in the Aug.
5 bombing at the JW Marriott Hotel were well-versed in the
doctrine of terrorist organization Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) as
indicated by their knowledge of Al-Jamaah Al-Islamiyyah's (the
Arabic name for Jamaah Islamiyah) guiding principles.
"All the Marriott bombing suspects are familiar with most of
the content of the guidelines ... They've admitted that they
follow the guidelines as their doctrine," said National Police
deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis.
Zainuri, however, stopped short of saying whether the
suspects also admitted that they belonged to Jamaah Islamiyah
which has been blamed for a string of bombing attacks across the
country since 2000.
The suspects now in police detention are Toni Togar, Sardono
Siliwangi, Idris alias Ikhsan, Datuk Rajo Ameh, Muhammad Rais,
Malikul, Mukhlis alias Solihin alias Muchliansyah, Heru Setianto,
and Suprapto.
In addition to these nine, police also named Asmar Latin Sani,
whose severed head was found at the blast site, as a suspect in
the blast that killed at least 12 people, including Asmar, and
injured 147 others,
The guidelines, a copy of which was made available to The
Jakarta Post, titled Pedoman Umum Perjuangan Al-Jama'ah Al-
Islamiyyah (General Guidelines of the Struggle of Jamaah
Islamiyah), was issued by Majlis Qiyadah Markaziyah Al-Jamaah Al-
Islamiyyah to provide guidelines for members in their struggle
"to preserve the virtue of the group in accordance with Islamic
principles".
The group refers to Majlis Qiyadah Markaziyah Al-Jamaah Al-
Islamiyyah, or the Assembly's Armed Forces Headquarters of Al-
Jamaah Al-Islamiyyah.
On top of that, the assembly asserts it will use all measures
and capabilities to restore sharia (Islamic law) and establish an
Islamic state (khilafah) across the globe, the document says.
The assembly is chaired by an Amir (chief) who will be
assisted by several majlis (councils or assemblies) at state and
regional levels.
The document also contains an organizational chart of the
group.
The document stipulates technical guidelines for recruiting
new members and providing training, including in the use of
weapons and in combat.
The document mentions the concept of Jihad Musallah, which is
also defined as Qital or "to combat in the way of Allah against
the enemies of Allah and his Prophet including infidel rulers."
Zainuri said that the book was among the evidence presented
during the trial of cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.
The Central Jakarta District Court convicted Ba'asyir to four
years imprisonment on Sept. 2 for his involvement in a plot to
topple the government. The judges said, however, that there was
insufficient evidence to prove that the cleric chaired JI.
The United Nations has listed JI as a terrorist organization.
Police believe that JI was behind the Bali bombings which killed
202 people, mostly foreign tourists.
Police alleged that JI was also behind the Marriott bombing.
Zainuri said police were tracking down five suspects who were
still at large.
They are Dulmatin alias Joko Pitono, Dr. Azahari, Noordin Moh
Top, and two unidentified suspects who purchased the car used in
the bombing.
Dulmatin, Azahari, and Noordin are also wanted by police for
their involvement in the Bali bombings. They are known for their
expertise in rigging explosives. Azahari and Noordin are
Malaysian citizens.