Police up intelligence operations after threat against U.S. mission
Police up intelligence operations after threat against U.S. mission
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
National Police are intensifying undercover operations following
intelligence information claiming that a terrorist group under
the leadership of Malaysian fugitive Azahari bin Husin possesses
a map of the United States embassy in Jakarta, which prompted the
closure of U.S. missions across the country.
"Based on the information, the U.S. embassy closed its
missions," National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on
Friday, adding that police intelligence operations were underway
to find the whereabouts of the group.
Members of the Azahari group, said Da'i, quoting the
intelligence analysis, may target the U.S. embassy and there has
been increasingly frequent communication between them indicating
that they were planning another strike.
The U.S. government closed its missions in Indonesia
indefinitely on Thursday due to an unspecified security threat.
The closure came as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was making
his landmark visit to Washington.
The police have said that the Azahari group, named after the
man who is wanted for allegedly masterminding a spate of bombings
over the past three years, planned to launch an attack on a
number of oil refineries in Kalimantan.
Da'i said police were suspicious that the information on a
possible strike on U.S. property might be a tactic to divert
security authorities' attention from their real attack target.
"We consider the information a possible attempt to mislead the
police," said Da'i, quoted by Antara.
Therefore, he added, police have stepped up precautionary
measures to protect foreign missions and facilities as well as
public facilities here.
Jakarta Police have deployed 170 officers and two armored
personnel carriers to guard the U.S. embassy in Jakarta following
its closure on Thursday.
Spokesman for Jakarta Police Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said the heavy
police presence would be maintained until Tuesday, but would be
extended if necessary.
On normal days only between 10 to 20 officers plus an armored
personnel carrier are stationed at the embassy.
Tjiptono added that the number of officers could be increased
based on the situation.
Jakarta Police have also beefed up security measures at other
embassies, placing up to 20 Mobile Brigade elite units and an
armored car at each of the foreign missions.
In addition, police are also conducting impromptu checks on
motorists.
An Indonesian-language website offered chilling instructions
on how to attack a U.S. Embassy with rocket launchers or a
suicide bomb, along with a diagram that purports to identify the
ambassador's office.
The diagram was posted on a web page using a free domain
provider in the Pacific island of Nauru. The domain, co.nr, is
among many that allow anyone with a valid e-mail account to
create a web page, often without verifying the identity of the
author.
According to information registered with co.nr, the page was
first posted early Wednesday. The registered owner is listed as a
Malaysian.
The site was periodically unavailable on Friday, but a worker
at co.nr said in an e-mail that it had no immediate plan to
terminate the site's account.
Under the banner "Brigade Istimata International," the site
shows a floor plan with labels that describe an ambassador's
office, staff room and the locations of cameras and metal
detectors.
The page doesn't specify that the floor plan is the U.S.
embassy in Jakarta, and it wasn't clear if the plan was accurate
for any U.S. embassy.
"The use of the suicide bomber is possible," the site says,
noting the blast impact from 150 kilograms of TNT could be more
than 30 meters. It also says: "Using a grenade launcher is an
effective measure."
A spokesman for the U.S. embassy told The Associated Press
that officials were aware of the web page but declined to comment
further.