Police focus on possible Hambali-Ba'asyir link

P.C. Naommy and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar hinted on Thursday that the information shared by the United States on Hambali could be used to investigate Abu Bakar Ba'asyir further for his alleged role in regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

Da'i said police were studying and evaluating all intelligence received, including on Hambali, to see if there was any evidence of the cleric's involvement in JI, which has been blamed for the October 2002 Bali blasts and the August 2003 JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta.

He acknowledged that some reports mentioned Ba'asyir's presence at several JI meetings.

"The information comes from investigation results in Indonesia and Malaysia and from Hambali himself," Da'i said.

Da'i was referring to more than 125 transcripts of Hambali's interrogation by the U.S.

National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief A.M. Hendropriyono confirmed on Thursday that he had also received copies of the U.S.' intelligence report on its interrogation of Hambali.

"We received it sometime ago," Hendropriyono said.

The intelligence chief, however, refused to comment on a possible link between Hambali and Ba'asyir.

"That is not what we are looking for in these documents," he said.

Responding to a growing suspicion expressed by the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) over the renewed interest in their leader, Ba'asyir's, Da'i said no one need worry, as police would act in accordance with the law.

MMI executive Fauzan al-Anshari had previously expressed his concern that the police were attempting to set another dragnet for Ba'asyir by attempting to link the cleric with international terrorism networks.

Da'i said it was also possible for the police to investigate Ba'asyir further and follow up with existing legal procedures if enough information and clues emerged as evidence.

"In any case involving anyone, including Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, once we find any clues or information that lead us to evidence that can be used in the process of law, we will follow it up," said Da'i. He suggested, however, that people refrain from second-guessing a conclusion before the process was completed.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the lower court's verdict on charges of immigration and document fraud against Ba'asyir, but reduced his sentence to 18 months from three years. Accusations that the cleric was the spiritual leader of JI was thrown out by the district court.

With the Supreme Court's reduction, Ba'asyir will be complete his jail term on April 4, the day before the legislative election.

The U.S. has insisted that Ba'asyir was deeply involved in terrorist activities and has asked Indonesia to take its assessment into account.

In Canberra, Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer said as quoted by AP on Thursday that Indonesia should not release Ba'asyir from prison as scheduled next month, because he might incite further violence.

Downer warned that JI had up to 5,000 members in Indonesia in a grave assessment of the threat on Australia's doorstep.

"He will endeavor to inspire this perverted interpretation of Islam and try to inspire his followers to overthrow in time moderate Islamic governments and to attack what they regard as infidels and heretics," Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

On Australia's Seven Network television station late on Tuesday, Ba'asyir said in an interview in his jail cell that the U.S. and its allies in the Iraq invasion, especially Britain and Australia, would be destroyed "in the name of Allah". He also blamed last week's deadly bombings in Madrid on Spain's support in the U.S.-led war on Iraq.