Military links bomb suspects with GAM

Military links bomb suspects with GAM

Tiarma Siboro and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) officially connected on Monday
the five suspects in the Graha Cijantung Mall, East Jakarta,
bombing with the rebellious Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu claimed that GAM
supporters have infiltrated Jakarta in an attempt to purchase
military weaponry by "approaching several TNI personnel or other
related parties who have close links with the TNI."

"The activities of these Aceh rebels are connected with a
series of bomb threats in Jakarta," Ryamizard told reporters on
the sidelines of a ceremony marking the commemoration of Prophet
Muhammad's birthday at Army headquarters.

In confirmation of the allegations, Aceh Security Task Force
spokesman Col. Zaenal Muttaqin said three of the five suspects
were closely connected with the GAM network in Lhoksemauwe and
widely known as bomb experts who had been involved in a series of
blasts in the capital.

"Our intelligence shows that the three have not been seen in
Aceh since mid-2001. They have been put on the wanted list.
Tension in Lhoksemauwe has subsided ever since they left," Zaenal
told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Zaenal disclosed that the three -- Tom, Adi alias Edi alias
Bambang, and Mudawali -- were from Lhoksemauwe but used many
fake identities in their operations.

The five allegedly planted low-explosive bombs in the mall's
basement. The mall is located near the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) headquarters.

The suspects were arrested on Saturday by the police with help
from the Kopassus intelligence group.

The five -- all Acehnese and categorized as terrorists by the
security forces -- are now in the custody of the Jakarta Police.

The security forces have also seized some evidence found in
three houses outside Jakarta, including thousands of rounds of
ammunition produced by the Bandung-based state arms manufacturer
PT Pindad.

Asked why the TNI was unable to keep track of its own
ammunition, Ryamizard said without elaborating: "Of course we
keep track of it. But we also cannot deny that some leaks take
place sometimes."

Activists have warned that the arrest of the six Acehnese
could be part of a set-up by the security forces to strengthen
their hand in labeling GAM as a terrorist group.

It was Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who first referred to GAM as
terrorists.

The stigmatization is suspected of being the initial stage in
a move by the military and government to win both domestic and
international support for their plan to wage a massive military
anti-insurgency operation in Aceh.