S'pore produces evidence of terrorism
S'pore produces evidence of terrorism
Associated Press, Singapore
Shaky, grainy, color video clips of embassies, warships and a
naval base were released by the Singapore government on Friday as
evidence against suspected terrorists accused of plotting to blow
up Western interests in the city-state.
The four video excerpts show some of the 13 suspected
terrorists "casing" potential terror targets, the government said
in a statement.
Singapore says the 13 are members of Jemaah Islamiyah, an
extremist network with links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda.
The video clips are brief, with the shortest showing a 20-
second drive past the Israeli embassy which ends when the camera
is yanked away as security guards look over.
The longest clip, 1 minute 15 seconds, shows the U.S. Embassy
and the Australian and British high commissions which flank the
fortress-like American building.
The evidence against the 13, who have not been charged, was
shown earlier this week before a closed-door advisory board. It
is legal to hold people without trial under Singapore's Internal
Security Act (ISA).
The three-member advisory board -- which includes a judge, a
doctor and a businessman -- reviews the suspects' case but it has
no power to convict or exonerate. If the board feels the men are
innocent, they can recommend that the president pardon them.
According to the government statement, the suspects started
casing Singaporean targets in October 2001.
In October, Singaporean Mohamed Nazir bin Mohammed Uthman, 27,
and Indonesian Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi filmed the American Embassy
on Napier Road along with the British and Australian high
commissions.
Al-Ghozi was known as "Mike" to suspects who were members of
an al-Qaeda-linked cell in Singapore, the government said. Al-
Ghozi filmed the U.S. Embassy video, which shows Nazir sitting at
a bus stop in front of the embassy, the statement said.
The government says the videos were made by "foreign
terrorists Sammy and Mike." The government says Sammy is a
Canadian of Kuwaiti descent with suspected al-Qaeda links; his
whereabouts are unknown. Sammy had earlier asked members of
Jemaah Islamiyah to procure 17 tons of ammonium nitrate to build
truck bombs, Singapore authorities say.
In November, suspects made "reconnaissance" videos of
Singapore's Sembawang Wharf and Changi Naval Base, which are
frequented by American and Singaporean sailors.
Al-Ghozi, who was arrested in the Philippine capital last
month, told Filipino prosecutors on Thursday that he planned
almost-simultaneous bombings that killed 22 people in Manila a
year ago. The Indonesian was arrested after a tip-off from
Singapore.
Al-Ghozi also had links in Malaysia and says he raised money
for the Philippines attack from a Malaysian-based leader of
Jemaah Islamiyah.
The videos were saved on VCDs with disguised labels. The
footage of the wharf and naval base, which was filmed from the
Southern Malaysian state of Johor, was found in a VCD disguised
with the title, "MP3 ? Rock n Roll."
Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has
rejected allowing "outside parties" to interrogate Malaysian
suspects detained in an anti-terror operation, saying there is no
proof that any are connected to the Sept. 11 attacks.
The remarks appeared to rule out extraditing to the United
States a former Malaysian army captain, Yazid Sufaat, jailed for
his alleged role in an extremist group plotting to bomb U.S.
targets in Singapore.
Yazid allegedly allowed two of the Sept. 11 hijackers to stay
at his apartment in January 2000 during a stopover in Kuala
Lumpur to meet with an operative from bin Laden's al-Qaeda
network and local militants.