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.