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.