Poor team work blamed for inability to stop attacks

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Defense and intelligence analysts are ruing poor team work among intelligence units and unpopular government policies for a string of terrorist attacks that have rocked the country over the last three years.

Hari Prihartono, executive director of ProPatria, a think tank on defense and security issues, says the repeated bomb attacks in the country have a lot to do with the lack of coordination among intelligence units following reforms in defense and security fields.

"Intelligence units in the National Police, Indonesian Military (TNI), National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Immigration Directorate General, Attorney General's Office and home affairs ministry have so far worked individually, so that they fail to provide an early warning of possible terrorist attacks," Hari said on Wednesday.

He asserted that Indonesia had been vulnerable to terrorist attacks since the militaristic coordinating agency to support the strengthening of national stability (Bakorstanas) was dissolved in 2000 and BIN carried out internal reforms in 2002.

The government's decision to raise fuel prices, the high unemployment rate and other policies that impoverish people may have triggered the attacks, he said.

"We should not only blame the United States and its international allies for the continuing bloodshed in Iraq, but also look inward to ask if the bomb attacks were the result of our failure to address domestic problems," he said.

Hari underlined that the nation could not depend solely on the police to contain terror threats despite their legitimate power to take care of domestic security.

Andi Widjayanto, defense analyst from the University of Indonesia, said the National Police were unable to forewarn the public about terror attacks as their intelligence skills were inadequate.

"The collaboration of all intelligence units under the coordination of BIN is an ideal force to effectively prevent or at least minimize terror attacks," he said.

He underlined that intelligence operations to halt terrorism were aimed at protecting, not abusing people.

"The public should not fall victim to intelligence activities. Community and neighborhood units should be encouraged to support counterterrorism efforts," he said.

Former BIN chief Gen. (ret.) A.M. Hendropriyono agreed that the war on terror required the contribution of all relevant institutions under the coordination of BIN.

"Under Presidential Instruction No. 5/2002, BIN is tasked with coordinating all intelligence units to detect any threats to the state," he said. "But this cannot work because the law does not provide the intelligence apparatus with the much-needed freedom to undertake their jobs in the field."

He said a law that entrusted BIN to conduct effective intelligence operations was urgently needed to prevent more terrorist attacks.

The House has refused to debate a bill on intelligence proposed by BIN under Hendropriyono, due to concerns it would lead to human rights abuses. The government is drafting a new bill that is more "humane" as it proposes strict control by the lawmakers and the public over all intelligence operations.