Police fail to reveal bomb attack masterminds

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Prior to the grenade blast early on Monday morning close to the U.S.-owned property here that claimed one life, a string of bomb attacks had already struck Jakarta.

The table below shows that targets, dates and locations of the attacks are so varied that it is difficult to discern a pattern from the blasts to predict potential future targets.

The police attributed the attacks to several different groups and individuals, including the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), radical Muslim groups and former president Soeharto' son of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, but thus far, they have failed to detect the real networks or groups masterminding the attacks or unveil the motives behind them.

Some of the abortive attacks displayed below, especially those requiring expertise in the use of homemade explosives or grenades, as in the abortive Bulungan attack, appear to indicate that some would-be bombers were not explosives experts.

However, even though many bomb attacks were carried out by amateurs, the impact was devastating and, in some cases, caused a large number of casualties, creating terror in the capital.

Major bomb attacks in Jakarta (Date; Venue; Casualties; Status/Penalty):

Aug. 1, 2000: Philippine ambassador's residence, C. Jakarta; Two dead, 21 injured; Unresolved.

Aug. 27, 2000: Parking lot of Malaysian Embassy, S. Jakarta; None; Five sentenced, between five and seven years.

Sept. 14, 2000: Basement parking lot of JSX building, S. Jakarta; 10 dead, 46 injured; Eight people sentenced, between eight years and life sentence.

Dec. 25, 2000: Outside Santo Yosef church in Matraman, E. Jakarta. Outside Kanisius church, Cikini, C. Jakarta. Outside a church in Halim Perdanakusuma, E. Jakarta. Outside the Cathedral in Pasar Baru, C. Jakarta. Outside the Anglican church in Menteng, C. Jakarta (defused); Three dead, dozens injured; Unresolved.

May 10, 2001: Acehnese student dormitory, Jl. Perahu, Guntur, S. Jakarta; Three dead, two injured; Three sentenced, between one and four years.

June 22, 2001: Boarding house in Pancoran, S. Jakarta; Five injured; Unresolved.

July 11, 2001: Slipi intersection, W. Jakarta; One dead, 13 injured; Unresolved.

Aug. 1 2001: Atrium Plaza, C. Jakarta; Seven (including a suspect) injured; Malaysian citizen and an Indonesian sentenced to death.

Nov. 6, 2001: Australian International School, S. Jakarta; None; Unresolved.

Jan. 1, 2002: Jl. Bulungan, S. Jakarta; One dead (suspect); Unresolved.

June 9, 2002: Hotel Jayakarta and Eksotis discotheque; Four injured; Unresolved.

July, 1, 2002: Graha Cijantung shopping center, E. Jakarta; Six injured; Unresolved.

Sep. 23, 2002: Jl. Teluk Betung, C.Jakarta, near U.S.-owned property; One dead; Unresolved.