Police: Abduction threat by terrorists may be real
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
National Police chief Gen. Sutanto is taking seriously the possibility terrorists could kidnap senior government officials or foreigners, as part of a new strategy in the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of an inauguration ceremony for new military and police officers in Surabaya on Wednesday, Sutanto said police would beef up security in target areas to help prevent possible abductions.
"We surely don't want (kidnapping) to occur, therefore, we are tightening security in areas that are considered prone to danger such as public and religious places," Sutanto said as quoted by Antara.
Sutanto was commenting on remarks made on Tuesday by chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Syamsir Siregar. He said BIN had received credible reports that terrorists had decided to abduct prominent figures instead of launching new bomb attacks during the Christmas and New Year season, after the government beefed up security across the country ahead of the holidays.
The terrorists would target figures who made policy, including ministers, bureaucrats and foreign diplomats, Syamsir said.
A senior intelligence officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said the agency had analyzed data obtained from tapped telephone lines, intercepted e-mails and other communications.
He urged the government to pay attention on the warning because it was based on strong evidence.
"It would tarnish the agency's reputation if BIN failed to warn the public about the (possible) abductions and they later occurred," the officer said.
Although Indonesia's most-wanted terrorist, Azahari bin Husin, was killed in a police raid last month in Malang, East Java, his compatriot Noordin Mohd. Top remains at large.
Both Azahari and Noordin, top operatives of the al-Qaeda- linked Jamaah Islamiyah organization, are believed responsible for a string of bomb attacks in the country since 2002. The latest attacks in Bali on Oct. 1, killed 23 people, including the three suicide bombers.
Police believe Noordin will launch a revenge attack and has recruited more followers in the past few weeks.
A document found during a raid at one of Noordin's hideouts said the group planned to bomb unspecified targets in Jakarta.
News also emerged last month that a website purportedly set up under militant orders gave instructions on how to shoot foreigners in the streets of Jakarta or throw grenades at motorists stuck in traffic in the car-jammed city.
The U.S. and Australian embassies have also issued warnings in recent weeks that foreigners could be targeted during the holiday season.
Police across Indonesia have been tightening security ahead of the holidays to prevent attacks, including a repeat of the 2000 Christmas Eve bombings of churches in several Indonesian cities which killed 19.