Poor intelligence blamed for bomb attack

Poor intelligence blamed for bomb attack

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The bombing in the driveway of JW Marriott hotel in South Jakarta
reveals the country's poor intelligence and lack of seriousness
in anticipating possible terror attacks in the country, observers
say.

Director of Police Watch Rashid N. Lubis said on Wednesday
that the police, which are supposed to play an important part in
maintaining security, including anticipating terrorist attacks,
had not improved their intelligence gathering skills following
their separation from the Indonesia Military (TNI).

"Before the separation, the military monopolized intelligence
gathering and processing.

The separation has downgraded both institutions' capabilities,
but the police suffered the most as they are unskilled in terms
of intelligence work," Rashid said.

Under the New Order regime, Indonesia's intelligence
operations thrived. The state intelligence apparatus was a
powerful institution that could make arrests without a court
order.

The government currently has other intelligence institutions
such as the National Intelligence Body (BIN) and intelligence
units associated with the immigration office and the Attorney
General's Office.

The Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs set up a 48-member special antiterrorism desk
late last year linking the police, military, and several
ministries to coordinate the country's efforts to combat
terrorism.

The unit is also authorized to coordinate intelligence work,
pursue international cooperation, law enforcement, and
information and communications.

"It is apparent that relations are not good, in terms of
exchange of evidence, among the institutions," Rashid said.

According to Rashid, the police failed to develop intelligence
skills as they preferred to focus on improving their services to
the public rather than improving their intelligence gathering
skills.

"Developing their services to the public is a must, but the
police must not ignore the need to improve their intelligence
work," Rashid said.

Separately, Rizal Sukma of the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) said the security authorities had
been "very weak" in imposing mechanisms to prevent possible
terror attacks.

"It is impossible to prevent a terror attack as it is hard to
know where, when and how it will happen. But we can reduce the
opportunities for terrorists to carry out terrorist acts," he
said.

Intelligence officers, Rizal said, must be able to control the
storage, trade, and use of firearms and explosive materials in
the country.

They must also monitor the gateways to the country as well as
possible groups, within or outside Indonesia, that have the
capability to conduct terrorist attacks, he said.

"However, what makes me worried the most is that security
officers have failed to involve people in early-warning measures
against terrorism," Rizal said.

Indonesia's geographic and social conditions provide a safe
haven for terrorism. Several observers have repeatedly warned the
government over the weaknesses of state intelligence bodies and
law enforcers in anticipating terror attacks in the country.

The government has issued legislation to combat terrorism this
year, which started soon after the 2002 Bali bombing, giving
security officers extra authority to move against suspected
terrorists.

The legislation has been used to capture Bali bombers, most of
whom are currently on trial. Some of them, allegedly high ranking
officials within the Jamaah Islamiyah terror network, however,
remain at large.