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.