Susilo warns of more bombing attacks

Susilo warns of more bombing attacks

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned here on Monday
that bomb attacks on places of worships in the country would
continue in the next few days.

"Intelligence information which has been obtained by the
police said that there are still efforts to launch similar
actions in other houses of worship," Susilo told a snap press
briefing at his office.

Susilo said the bombings could be carried out in the next few
days by the same group on places of worship of other religions
with the aim of setting communities at war with each other.

His statement came as a series of Christmas Eve bombings at
churches across the country Sunday killed at least 15 people,
including two police officers, and injured 96 others.

The explosions raised suspicions that a well organized group
-- including elements within the security forces -- was
responsible.

But Susilo said so far nothing in the investigations indicated
the hand of the armed forces or any other particular group.

Susilo on Monday also called on the public to remain calm and
said that so far no decision has yet to be taken as to whether
the government would soon impose an emergency status in Jakarta.

President Abdurrahman Wahid said earlier in the day the aim of
the bombings was "to shake the government, create panic and fear
so that the government cannot function."

He said the almost simultaneous explosions, in eight cities
late on Sunday, showed the bombers were "well organized" and used
to cooperating.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf told a media
conference later on Monday that bombs went off almost
simultaneously at around 9 p.m. in at least six provinces -
Jakarta, East Java, West Java, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra
and Riau - on Sunday.

Of the 15 casualties, three were killed in Jakarta, six in
West Java, one in East Java and five in Riau, Saleh said.

He also said that police managed to defuse 16 out of 31 bombs
they recovered on Sunday.

Saleh said that most bombs were disguised as Christmas
packages sent to the churches shortly before the mass service and
they were then remotely detonated.

He also said that so far 48 people had been questioned by the
police.

National Police forensics chief Brig. Gen. Erwin Mapaseng told
journalists that some of the bombs contained trinitrotoluene
(TNT), in addition to substances such as sulfur and phosphate.

"There was TNT and this is among the high explosives ... in
addition to such substances as sulphur and phosphate," Erwin
said.

But Erwin said the devices were "conventional" and different
from those used in attacks on the Jakarta Stock Exchange, the
Attorney General's office and the home of the Philippine
ambassador earlier this year.

One of the unexploded bombs, found against the southern wall
of Jakarta's Roman Catholic cathedral, weighed 13 kilograms
pounds), he said, and another at an Anglican church 14 kilograms.

Saleh earlier described the bombs as home made and said the
explosives used in them were of a type "not used by the
military."

Suspects

Meanwhile, National Police chief's intelligence assistant
Insp. Gen. Ansa'ad Bei said on late Monday that police have
identified two suspects in the bombings.

Ansa'ad was quoted by Satunet news service as saying the two
people had been declared suspects for building home-made bombs.

He said the two were among a group of at least five people
believed to have been constructing bombs in a rented house in the
West Java capital of Bandung, when one exploded accidentally
Sunday afternoon.

Three people were killed in the explosion, while two others
were hospitalized with injuries.

"They've now become suspects," Ansa'ad was quoted as telling a
media conference, by the Detik.com news service.

He said, however, the two suspects were not yet well enough to
be questioned intensively.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Moelyono Sulaeman
conveyed his apology early Monday for the Christmas eve bombings
in the capital city on Sunday.

Speaking after an emergency meeting with Jakarta Governor
Sutiyoso and religious leaders, Moelyono admitted that police did
not anticipate that the bombs were planted in vehicles parked
near the churches.

Earlier, Sutiyoso had expressed condolences to the family of
the victims and said that Jakarta administration would cover the
medical expenses of those injured in the incident.(dja/ylt)