Police receive info on terrorist suspect Hambali from U.S

Police receive info on terrorist suspect Hambali from U.S

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

The United States has supplied information about terrorist
suspect Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali and his activities to the
Indonesian authorities, the National Police chief Gen. Da'i
Bachtiar says.

The information, according to Da'i, included several documents
related to Hambali's activities.

"We have managed to get several documents and other evidence
of Hambali's terrorist activities from the U.S.," Da'i said.

Da'i said the Indonesian authorities also received information
about money Hambali had dispersed to finance a series of bomb
attacks in the past few years.

Hambali, Asia's most wanted terrorist suspect, was arrested by
Thai intelligence officers and the CIA in Thailand last week and
is currently in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location.

Police investigators had named Hambali, who was born in West
Java, a suspect in the deadly Bali bombings in October 2002 and
the JW Marriot Hotel attack as well as a string of church
bombings on Christmas Eve in 2000.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri personally called U.S.
President George W. Bush at the weekend to ask for access to
interrogate Hambali and to bring him back for trial in the
country.

National Police Chief of Detectives Comr. Gen. Erwin Mappaseng
said on Tuesday Hambali transferred US$45,000 to Malaysian Lili
in June, who was then in Thailand, to finance a series of
bombings in Indonesia.

Lili allegedly handed over the money to Idris, who was
arrested in June and is still in police custody. "The police are
still tracing the money," Erwin said.

Idris is one of 11 suspects in the JW Marriott Hotel bombing
that occurred on Aug. 5 in Jakarta. He is said to have recruited
Asmar Latin Sani and Tohir, who allegedly were the executors of
the bombing.

Body parts identified as belonging to Asmar, who drove the van
that exploded in the hotel's driveway, were found among the
debris of the hotel.

"The most important thing is that we need access to
interrogate Hambali, now we have managed to get this information
we expect that we can question him," Da'i said.

The four-star general said police were preparing two or three
high-ranking officials to interrogate Hambali as soon as they get
permission from the U.S. authorities.

"We are asking for information and the opportunity to question
him and finally bring Hambali back for trial," he said.

The Indonesian-born Hambali is believed to be the leader of
regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and is wanted by
several countries in the Southeast Asia region.

The Philippines had formally asked Washington on Tuesday to
provide access to question Hambali for his alleged involvement in
deadly bomb attacks and plots in Manila and in the region.

Invoking a treaty on mutual legal assistance with Washington,
Foreign Secretary Blas Ople asked in a letter to the U.S. Embassy
in Manila to be granted access to Hambali and share any
information he gives that could help the Philippines in its
battle against terrorism.

"The Philippines and other countries should have the
opportunity to mine the wealth of information that Hambali might
be able to provide," Ople said in a statement as quoted by
Associated Press.

Indonesian Ministry for Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty
Natalegawa said on Tuesday that Indonesia was fully aware of the
interests that many countries have in gaining access to Hambali.

"But we believe that most countries will agree that Indonesia
has a particular interest in Hambali," Marty told The Jakarta
Post.

Marty said Indonesia would ensure that these interests would
not become a source of contention among Southeast Asian
countries.

"All countries in the region share a common commitment in
fighting terrorism, and we believe they will understand
Indonesia's interest in Hambali," he said.