RI interested in interrogating Hambali
Febiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian government wants access to terror suspect Hambali, currently in U.S. custody, to question him about a string of attacks in the country, including the Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel bombing that killed 12 people and injured more than 140 others.
Thai authorities confirmed that Hambali, an Indonesian, was handed over to the United States after he was arrested in the ancient temple city of Ayutthaya on Monday, and that the suspect was being interrogated at an undisclosed location in Thailand.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that Indonesia was very interested in questioning Hambali, and wanted to bring him home for trial.
"We want access and, if possible, we wish to take Hambali back to Indonesia for trial," Da'i said after a series of limited meetings with President Megawati Soekarnoputri and security ministers on Saturday.
"This man (Hambali) is thought to be tied to a series of bombings in Indonesia since 2000, to have been the man behind the Bali blasts and may be behind the Marriott bombing. We have prepared officers to question him," Da'i said.
Hambali is believed to be the top operative of the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network in Southeast Asia, and is alleged to be the architect of the bloody Bali blasts.
Born Encep Nurjaman in the village of Sukamanah in Cianjur, West Java, Hambali is also allegedly tied to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
He was arrested in Ayutthaya in a joint operation between Thailand and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Saturday Hambali had been planning attacks during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for October in Bangkok.
"We arrested two or three suspects before we managed to arrest Hambali .... Intelligence gathering clearly showed that they were planning to do something which I do not want to elaborate on," Thaksin said during a weekly radio address, as quoted by AFP.
Hambali's current location is being kept a closely guarded secret.
"We have not yet been informed about the whereabouts of Hambali, but we assure you that Indonesia is interested in gaining access to question him," Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.
Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said President Megawati Soekarnoputri would contact her Thai counterpart about being given access to Hambali.
"Diplomatic efforts to gain access to interrogate Hambali will be conducted at the presidential level and also through my office," Hassan said.
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the government had jurisdiction to try Hambali under Law No. 15/2002 on terrorism.
"The law applies to all Indonesians, living here or abroad, allegedly involved in terrorism," the minister said.
However, he said Indonesia did not have an extradition treaty with the U.S., and it was the Thai government's decision whether or not to hand the suspect over to the U.S.
Former minister of defense Juwono Sudarsono said trying Hambali in Indonesia would help refute conspiracy theories that the U.S. created JI and was itself behind the bombings in Indonesia.
"Should the Americans keep him it would seem to confirm those conspiracy theories," the Indonesian Ambassador to England told The Jakarta Post.