for NU and Muhammadiyah

Indonesia's major Muslim groups spearhead moderate campaign



Indonesia's to largest Muslim organizations Nadhlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah say they are committed to campaigning for moderate Islam to counter the emergence of militant groups, a local newspaper said Thursday.

They pledged that they would not seek strict religious formalism in pluralist Indonesia -- meaning the upholding of the outward signs and practices of the religion -- nor tolerate the use of violence in the name of the religion, said The Jakarta Post.

Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said radical groups did not represent Islam, and therefore terrorism should not be simplistically linked to the religion because of their misuse of its name.

"No religion, including Islam, tolerates any use of violence. The terrorists are those who are not patient and misunderstand the religion," he said after presenting his paper on religiosity at the second International Conference of Islamic Scholars here Wednesday.

He blamed the actions of violent radical groups on law enforcers who were slow to act against their militancy.

"The police should take action against mass organizations using violence in the name of religion because their violent acts are against the law."

But Din also said the motivation of such groups must be identified.

"As long as the law is not enforced and injustice is found in society, radicalism or terrorism will gain ground in the country."

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi expressed optimism that the two organizations would be able to counter radicalism and liberalism which emerged with the onset of the reform movement in 1998.

"NU will continually campaign for the true Islam and its rich values among Muslims, so that they have an appropriate understanding about how to fight for Islamic values in the pluralist society."

Hasyim, who said radical groups would eventually disband if law enforcers took a firm stand on their use of violence, acknowledged there were mistakes by some organizations in fighting for the implementation of sharia (Islamic) law.

Source: Xinhua

Indonesia's fizzling terrorist threat
By Bill Guerin

JAKARTA - Within hours of his release from prison, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir wasted no time reiterating his jihadi mission. The firebrand Islamic cleric, identified by the United States and Australia as one of Southeast Asia's most dangerous terrorists, urged Indonesian Muslims to "unite behind the Islamic goal and strengthen the Islamic brotherhood and work to establish sharia" (Islamic law).

Ba'asyir, 68, widely recognized as the spiritual head of the militant Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) organization, was convicted last year on conspiracy charges related to his role in the 2002 Bali bombing that killed more than 200 people. His early release after serving 25 and a half months was criticized by US and Australian officials for being much too lenient, and some have warned it could re-energize the JI network he allegedly heads.

But how much of a threat does JI really pose nowadays? Indonesia's US-trained and -equipped elite police counter-terrorism team, known locally as Detachment 88, has recently captured or killed more than 200 suspected JI-linked militants. The legal status of most of the detainees is unclear, though officials say they are being held under 2003 anti-terrorism legislation that allows for detention without trial.

Indonesian police have recently made some high-profile hits. They ran down Malaysian geophysicist Azahari Bin Husin, JI's chief bomb maker, who allegedly designed the explosives for the 2002 Bali bombing, the Marriott Hotel bombing of 2003, and the 2004 bomb attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. He blew himself up before security officials could nab him, though they did uncover evidence of plans for future bomb attacks. Indonesian authorities say that nearly all of the militant suspects in their custody have cited Ba'asyir as their inspiration. (Ba'asyir, for his part, has consistently denied that JI exists.)

Ba'asyir's release could give a big boost to regional jihadists, US and Australian officials warn. Speaking to to a delegation of foreign creditors from the Consultative Group on Indonesia soon after the release, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said, "Our national efforts to combat terrorism are not measured by the release of Ba'asyir. We are fully committed in continuing the fight against terrorism."

Syamsir Siregar, head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), meanwhile, expressed his hopes after Ba'asyir's release that he will cooperate with terrorism investigators to nab militant suspects.

Australia and the US have asked Indonesia to keep Ba'asyir under 24-hour watch, but the Justice Ministry has said his release was unconditional. Kevin Rudd, Australia's federal opposition spokesman on foreign affairs and trade, said it means that there is now an "anti-Australian, anti-Western mass murderer on the loose in Indonesia".

A US Embassy spokesman said there was cause for concern: "We were deeply disappointed that a person convicted of a sinister conspiracy was given such a short prison sentence."

Despite calls from Washington and Canberra, Jemaah Islamiyah still has not been banned in Indonesia. Yudhoyono, echoing Ba'asyir's line, says there still is not enough evidence to establish that the organization actually exists. Western terrorism experts and the Singaporean government have issued a series of in-depth research reports that chronicle JI's history, accomplished and foiled plots, and alleged members. Those reports, drawing on regional intelligence sources, say JI has a vision of carving out a new pan-Islamic state across Southeast Asia encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and parts of the Philippines and Thailand.

What's unclear is whether that literature is now out of date. Some terrorism experts believe that the recent crackdown has severely dented JI's operations and splintered its leadership. According to counter-terrorism official Syamsir, JI is now controlled by three hardline Indonesians: Zulkarnaen, the alleged commander of the militant wing; explosives expert Abu Dujana; and operations chief Zuhroni. Noordin Mohamed Top, a Malaysian accused of orchestrating a series of JI-inspired bombings in Indonesia, is still at large and allegedly takes his orders from the top three, according to Siregar.

Terrorism experts say that the 2003 arrest of JI operations chief Riduan Isamuddin, or Hambali, in Thailand was a major blow to JI's organization and operations. Hambali, who has been dubbed by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) the Osama bin Laden of Southeast Asia, is being held at an undisclosed location by US officials.

Indonesian officials point to the lack of any significant terrorist attacks over the past 18 months as evidence that JI's potency has been reduced as a result of the recent crackdown.

Pleasing the West
Indonesia's strategic significance to the United States assumed a new and urgent dimension after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Southeast Asia was soon thereafter identified by Washington as its second front of the "global war on terror". US officials have since worked hand-in-hand with regional security forces, particularly in the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, to track and apprehend suspected terrorists.

Indonesia, with its complex political dynamics and fractured internal security apparatus, was until recently viewed by the US as the weakest link in its regional counter-terrorism campaign. Washington had frequently warned of terrorist cells and planned attacks, including intelligence reports that presaged the 2002 Bali bombing.

Former US ambassador to Indonesia Ralph "Skip" Boyce had frequently chastised president Megawati Sukarnoputri's government for failing to neutralize the terrorist threat. After repeated US warnings fell on deaf ears, Washington threatened to withdraw its diplomatic presence in Jakarta apart from essential staff members.

Megawati's inaction was rooted in her concerns about a possible nationalist backlash and breakup of her fragile coalition government - members of which, notably the vice president, were sympathetic to fundamentalist Islamic causes - if she launched a crackdown on suspected Islamic militants. Moreover, a crackdown would have handed the military new powers at a time Megawati was striving to end the military's dominant role in politics.

Washington drastically changed its tune after the election of Yudhoyono in September 2004. During an official visit to Indonesia in March, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice referred to the country as a model of democratic and moderate Islam. Following up, B Lynn Pascoe, the current US ambassador to Indonesia, said, "I am struck by the dramatic changes in the US-Indonesian relationship. Our presidents have met three times during a short period for substantive discussions of bilateral and global issues."

Last year the US resumed military-to-military contacts with the Indonesian military (TNI) after nearly a decade's suspension because of human-rights issues, including the TNI's involvement in the devastation of East Timor in 1999. More recently, Washington has also dangled the prospect of a bilateral free-trade agreement with Jakarta, similar to the pacts it has signed or is negotiating with regional strategic allies in Singapore, Australia and Thailand.

Washington has supported Yudhoyono's quiet, yet tough, tack. The US Embassy in Jakarta quietly vets potential members of the Detachment 88 counter-terrorism unit it supports for their individual human-rights records. And Yudhoyono's government's gradual arrest of more than 200 suspected militants has so far failed to generate major media or human-rights groups' attention.

Instead, counter-terrorism officials have focused on the few high-profile catches. The key actors responsible for the Bali attacks have been identified, caught and tried. Three of them were sentenced to death. Last September, suspected JI militants Ahmad Hasan and Iwan Darmawan Mutho were also given death sentences for their alleged roles in the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing.

Publicly moderate, privately tough
A retired army general and former top security minister, the US-trained Yudhoyono clearly fits the mold of Washington's idea of a model Muslim leader: publicly moderate but behind-the-scenes tough on terrorism. Those credentials apparently helped to assuage the US administration's previous concerns about the Indonesian military's spotty human-rights record. In February 2005, just five months into Yudhyono's term, the US lifted long-running restrictions and resumed full International Military Education and Training (IMET) for Indonesian armed forces.

In his meeting this month with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Yudhoyono said he wanted to establish a permanent military relationship with the US. He has a friend in Rumsfeld, but detractors in Congress. Asked about human-rights reforms in Indonesia's military, Rumsfeld said he did not believe that the ban on US military assistance should have been imposed in the first place. "I am not one of those people who believe that every country should be like the United States," he said.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda noted a "growing and accepted view in the US to see Indonesia in a much broader context than in snapshots of events like human-rights violations ... and military reform".

Of course a politically stable, US-friendly Indonesia serves Washington's broad foreign-policy objectives of combating terrorism and consolidating its military positions in the region - notably at a time China's influence is growing. The US is particularly concerned about possible terrorist threats to the Malacca Strait, the waterway separating Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore that links the Indian and Pacific Oceans and through which half of the world's oil supplies and a third of global commerce flows.

Piracy is rampant in the Malacca Strait, and US and Southeast Asian intelligence services are reportedly investigating possible links between pirates and terrorist groups, particularly JI. The terror rationale: a strike on shipping lanes would cause massive political and economic disruption and make vulnerable the United States' security installations in the region. A bigger US naval presence in the Malacca Strait also conveniently puts Beijing on edge, as most of China's fuel imports travel through the narrow shipping lane.

The US has been pushing to play a bigger role in counter-terrorism patrols, which some Association of Southeast Asian Nations members, particularly Malaysia, have at least privately resisted.

Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono also warned Rumsfeld that the US should not interfere too much in regional counter-terrorism efforts.

"The primary responsibility for security and anti-terrorism measures should lie with national governments, rather than the US forcing its will on other countries," Sudarsono said. "As the largest Muslim country, we are very aware of the perception ... that the United States is overbearing, which creates a sense of threat for many groups."

For Washington, a closer relationship with a democratic and moderate Indonesia is an important confirmation that the "war against terrorism" is not a confrontation with Islam, even though there has definitely been an upsurge in Islamic extremist groups in Indonesia since the fall of president Suharto in 1998.

Islamic groups are lobbying to transform the historically secular country into an Islamic state, while others like JI allegedly still want to pursue jihad against the West. The majority of Southeast Asia's Muslims, including in Indonesia, have widely rejected Islamic radicalism at democratic polls - a point Washington has only belatedly awoken to.

Any indication that Washington is somehow backing state-sponsored human-rights abuses in the pursuit of counter-terrorism policies would hand Indonesia's radicals an important victory - as it has in Iraq. As the US and Yudhoyono's administration draw closer together in fighting the "war on terror" and beyond, there is still a deep sense of mistrust among even moderate Muslims about Washington's intentions.

Therein lies the rub behind Ba'asyir's release, which was done in spite of shrill US and Australian objections. If and when the radical cleric resumes his intolerant, anti-US rhetoric, his speeches will be closely monitored. And if the bombs start to blast again, he'll be the first suspect called in for interrogation. But increasingly, it seems that Ba'asyir and JI - at least for now - are shadows of their former larger selves, and that behind the public posturing the US and Australia couldn't be happier with Yudhoyono's counter-terrorism policies.

Bill Guerin, a Jakarta correspondent for Asia Times Online since 2000, has worked in Indonesia for 20 years, mostly in journalism and editorial positions. He has been published by the BBC on East Timor and specializes in business/economic and political analysis related to Indonesia. He can be reached at softsell@prima.net.id.

Cant there be an emergency Military like facing GAM in Aceh for Poso?

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Bomb damages Indonesia church
Sunday, July 2, 2006 (Jakarta):

A suspected bomb exploded in an empty church on Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, alarming residents but injuring no one, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

"The explosion is suspected of being caused by a homemade bomb. But to be sure, we have to investigate onsite evidence," said police Major General Paulus Purwoko in the city of Poso, around 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) northeast of Jakarta, where the explosion took place on Saturday night.

Security forces have been on high alert since 2005, following a spate of attacks targeting Christians, including market bombings and the beheadings of three schoolgirls.

Although the vast majority of Indonesia's 220 million residents are Muslim, a large percentage of central Sulawesi's population is Christian.

There were fierce battles between members of the two faiths in 2001 and 2002 that killed about 1,000 people. Poso was the center of the violence.

As of Saturday night, a police bomb squad had not found evidence of a bombing or traces of explosives, Purwoko said, but investigations resumed on Sunday.

The explosion occurred at around 10:15 pm local time (1415GMT) in the Eklesia Church, which was being renovated after being burned during the conflict, witnesses said. (AP)

^ compared with just a year ago, the situation in Poso today is already very well with almost no incidents, thanks to joint military-police dragnet to clean the area from troublemakers.

This small incident is reminder for police not to let down their guard.

hope this means no more Terror from the Terrorists in Indonesia (I care mostly for my country)

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Ba'asyir says Indonesian holy warriors should go to Israel

JAKARTA (AP): A reputed leader of an al-Qaeda-linked terror group said Monday that Indonesia should send Islamic holy warriors to Israel to punish it for unleashing airstrikes in Palestinian territories.

"Israel is the enemy of Allah," militant cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir told hundreds of members of the Muslim-based Crescent Star Party in the capital Jakarta. "That is why Indonesia should send holy warriors there."

Ba'asyir, who recently completed a 26-month jail term for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings that left 202 dead, spoke as Israel massed tanks and troops along Gaza's northern border. That followed a weekend of escalating violence in Palestinian territories, triggered by the capture of an Israeli soldier.

While supporting Israel unconditionally, the United States and Australia allege that Ba'asyir is a key leader in the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Jamaah Islamiyah, blamed for a string of bloody bombings across Indonesia since 2000.

His release from prison last month raised concerns that he would energize Indonesia's small, Islamic radical fringe by making impassioned speeches at rallies and mosques.

The security restoration operations in Poso, Central Sulawesi by special anti-terrorist police (Densus 88) has successfully arrested the perpetrators of Tentena bombing of May 2005 and the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls on October 2005!

It seems the execution of Bali bombers are imminent

Hope this will tone down the Bombings
----------------------------------------------------
Security boost for Indonesian ports

July 11, 2006 - 5:49PM
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Security will be beefed up at major Indonesian airports and seaports under a joint project with Australia's immigration department.

Australian firm CPS Systems has won a $7.5 million contract to roll out passport readers, databases and name-matching software to identify suspicious people seeking to enter Indonesia.

The system will be used at airports in Jakarta, Denpasar, Surabaya and Medan, Batam sea port, and associated immigration offices.

The CEKAL system is Indonesia's version of Australia's Movement Alert List, which keeps tabs on people such as terrorists and criminals who pose a serious threat to the community.

Immigration officials will be able to cross-check the identities of people on arrival against alert lists, and lists of people granted visas or entry permits.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said it would improve regional security.

"Better control of borders throughout our region will help curb potential terrorist movements and other threats to the safety and wellbeing of all people in our region," Senator Vanstone said in a statement.

I agree with the thread title. With Indonesia being soo close to Australia, the lesser the terrorist the safer we aussies feel.

^^ good now we command you OZys you to come back to bali

Yeap, the govt now obliged all pre-paid mobile phone owner to list their identity and address, hence reducing availability of mobile phones communication to remaining terrorists like Noordin Mohd Top. Technology from USA allows our police to effectively monitor all telecommunication means in Indonesia. He is now forced to use human couriers, many of whom were arrested, leading the police to several close brush with him just in the recent two months.

Info from an arrested human courier led the police to a shootout which killed most of Noordin Mohd Top's lieutenants last year.

Bali bombers to be executed next month
July 26, 2006

Three Indonesians on death row for the 2002 Bali bomb attacks will be executed next month if their families waive a final appeal against their sentences, a prosecutor said today.

Prosecutors handed the families of two of the prisoners, Amrozi and Ali Ghufron, a letter notifying them of the executions yesterday, said Nugroho Prasetyo of the prosecutor's office in Lamongon, East Java.

"In the letter, received by an elder brother of the convicts, a date for the execution has been set for August 22, if the family waives its right to use their last avenue of appeal, in this case a demand for a case review," Mr Prasetyo said.

He said that, if normal protocol had been followed, a letter informing the family of the third bomber on death row, Imam Samudra, would also have been sent but he could not confirm it as it fell outside his jurisdiction.

Amrozi, 43, dubbed the "laughing bomber" for his apparent indifference to victims of the bomb attacks on two nightclubs in October 2002 that killed 202, and Mukhlas, 46, have both refused to seek presidential clemency.

The Supreme Court last year rejected their appeals.

Amrozi's lawyer, Wirawan Adnan, said the defence counsel intended to file a demand for a case review but that the team was still looking for strong fresh evidence, which is required to file such a demand.

Mukhlas's lawyer Achmad Michdan could not be reached for comment.

Executions in Indonesia are normally by firing squad, but the exact location and time are kept secret.

"Based on the law, the date of execution cannot be published until it is done," Made Suratmaja, the head of Denpasar's District-Attorney office said.

Normally, under Indonesian law, death-row convicts are executed in the place where they have been tried.

But the Attorney-General's office has sought permission to shift the execution from Bali to the prison island of Nusakambangan in central Java where the militants were shipped last year after anger grew in the wake of suicide blasts on October 1 last year that killed 20 people.

"We have requested to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry that the execution be done in Nusakambangan for cost and safety considerations. And the ministry has approved the request," Mr Suratmaja said.

The bombings in Bali have been blamed on the South-East Asian Islamic militant group, Jemaah Islamiah, which authorities say has links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Bali bomber runs out of hiding places

Natalie O'Brien
September 01, 2006

FUGITIVE Bali bomber Noordin Mohammed Top is reportedly running out of places to hide as support for his terror network dwindles.

Indonesian intelligence sources say the mastermind behind both Bali bomb attacks has lost so much community support he has been forced to hide out in rented properties in unfamiliar areas.

Indonesian police believe Top's network has been crippled in the past nine months by a spate of deaths including that of Bali bomb maker Azahari bin Husin, the arrests of numerous lieutenants and a squeeze on their finances.

Indonesian National Police chief General Sutanto said Top's terror team, which includes the terror group Jemaah Islamiah, had been hit so badly they had lost the capacity to make the explosives used in a series of deadly attacks across the country.

"There are no experts (terrorists) in Indonesia that can produce the bombs, so the threat is lighter," General Sutanto said.

"Also they do not have enough funding to train new recruits, as we know that requires money and time," he added.

But JI researcher Sidney Jones warned that Top should not be written off "unless he is behind bars or dead".

Indonesia's crack anti-terror squad, Detachment 88, have been combing villages in eastern Java in the past few weeks hunting for Top and his cohorts. More than 100 INP officers searched Gondang after residents had complained of suspicious activity by several men in the district.

Police searched vehicles entering and leaving the district, after claims that Malaysian-born Top may have been among the men hiding in the area. A village official was reported as saying six men were believed to have been hiding in the mountains for several months, and had been asking locals for food and water.

Top is believed to be one of the masterminds behind some of the deadliest militant attacks in Indonesia, including last year's Bali bombing that killed 20 people, among them four Australians.

Experts have said that Top had recently formed a new organisation known as Tanzim Qaedat al-Jihad network, or Organisation for the Basis of Jihad.

Ms Jones warned that Indonesia was entering the annual bombing season. Most of the attacks against Western interests in Indonesia have been carried out in the last months of the year.

In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has upgraded its travel warnings to Indonesia because of the "very high threat of terrorist attack".

The warning said that the Australian Government continued to receive a stream of reports that terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests in Indonesia, including places frequented by foreigners.

Hati-hati, Indonesia!!

[color=#FF0000]02 September 2006

Australia minta warganya jauhi Indonesia
17 Provokator Masuk Manado

Meski informasinya sempat dibantah pihak Polda, namun Kepala Badan Kesbang Sulut Drs JJ Mongkaren tetap saja melontarkan sejumlah informasi tentang penyusupan teroris dan provokator di Manado. Kalau sebelumnya dia menyatakan, ada tujuh penyusup. Kali ini Mongkaren mengatakan, sudah ada 17 provokator yang datang di daerah ini.

Hal ini disampaikan Mongkaren di sela-sela pelaksanaan Sulut Expo 2006 di Jakarta, kemarin (01/09). Ada informasi 17 provokator dari daerah Jawa sedang menysusp masuk ke Manado. Ini informasi yang kami terima langsung dari intelijen pusat, tegas anggota Komisi Intelijen Daerah (Kominda) Sulut ini.

Ia menjelaskan, ke-17 provokator tersebut semuanya berasal dari sebuah pesantren di Jawa Timur. Kedatangan mereka tanpa alasan yang jelas dan menunjukan gelagat yang sangat mencurigakan.

Mereka datang dengan me-numpangi Pesawat Adam Air pada hari Sabtu lalu dan mendarat di Bandara Sam Ratulangi. Hanya saja dari 17 orang ini, terdapat satu orang yang ditugaskan untuk tinggal di Manado dan yang lainnya langsung menuju Ternate, jelas-nya.

Ia menambahkan, sejauh ini pihaknya sedang memantau dan memperketat pengawasan terhadap pergerakan ke-17 provokator tersebut. Pasalnya, saat ini ada tiga dari 17 provo-kator tersebut yang sudah kembali dari Ternate dan me-masuki Manado dengan alasan ke Luwuk Banggai.

"Yang pasti mereka akan tetap kita awasi terus. Komindo bersama pihak terkait tetap melakukan koordinasi untuk mengantisipasi kemungkinan buruk yang bakal terjadi de-ngan kehadiran ke-17 pro-vokator tersebut," jelasnya.

Lebih jauh, Mongkaren menghimbau kepada masyarakat untuk tetap waspada dan membantu pihak Kominda Sulut dan aparat terkait dengan memberikan informasi seputar keberadaan 17 orang ini. "Mari kita semua warga Sulut menjagadaerah kita tetap aman dan damai. Jangan sampai ada provokator luar yang memanfaatkan daerah kita untuk melakukan kejahatan", ajaknya.

Sementara itu, dari Canberra dilaporkan, bahwa Pemerintah Australia telah memperingatkan warganya di Indonesia agar berhati-hati.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director (Direktur Organisasi Intelijen dan Keamanan Australia, Jenderal Paul OSullivan meyakini akan ada serangan teroris dalam beberapa bulan ini. Hal ini berdasarkan laporan intelijen tingkat tinggi, katanya. Informasi ini kemudian ditindaklanjuti Deplu Australia, untuk mengingatkan war-ganya agar mempertimbang-kan kembali jika mempunyai rencana mengunjungi Indone-sia.(imo/inp)/color]

Bali bomb recruiter Umar Patek shot dead
By Natalie O'Brien
September 14, 2006 01:00am



ONE of Australia's most wanted terrorists, who recruited the suicide bombers to carry out the 2002 Bali bombings, has been killed in a shootout with Filipino soldiers.

Umar Patek, a recruitment specialist for the Indonesian-based terror group Jemaah Islamiah, died in a stronghold of the Philippines militant group Abu Sayyaf.

The group had been hiding Patek and his Bali bombing compatriot Dulmatin.

Patek, who had a $US1million ($1.3 million) bounty on his head, was killed during the largest military offensive launched against Southeast Asian terrorists hiding out in the region.

The head of the Philippines security forces hunting the terrorists, Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, said Patek "died from the wounds he suffered" after forces attacked the Abu Sayyaf camp at Luba Hill in the village of Barangay Tugas on the island of Jolo.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said last night the AFP "is aware of the reports (of Patek's death) and is optimistic there might be yet another breakthrough by the law enforcement and intelligence community in the disruption and dismantling of terrorism networks in the region."

The AFP has previously listed Patek, Dulmatin and the Bali bomb mastermind Noordin Top as Australia's most wanted terrorists.

The US Government has a $US10 million bounty on Dulmatin's head, which is surpassed only by the $US25 million offered for Osama bin Laden.

Late last week, soldiers stormed the Abu Sayyaf area and discovered terrorist manuals and bomb parts in a sign the al-Qaeda-linked militants had been training and planning for future attacks.

Some of the evidence uncovered included bullet-resistant camouflage vests, bomb-making manuals and four compact discs containing letters and plans.

They had been written in the Indonesian Bahasa language and were believed to have been owned by Patek and Dulmatin.

Security officers are translating the documents.

Earlier this year, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the military to crack down on terrorists in the south of the country and hunt for Dulmatin, Patek and the head of the Abu Sayyaf group, Khadaffy Janjalani, who were believed to be hiding out together.

In the past fews weeks, the fighting has concentrated on the island of Jolo and there have been reports that more than 40 militants and six soldiers had been killed in clashes as they attempted to capture Janjalani and his cohorts.

Dulmatin and Patek fled to The Philippines after the 2002 Bali bombings to avoid capture.

They formed an alliance with Abu Sayyaf, a radical group listed as a terrorist organisation by the US, and have been recruiting and training terrorists sent from Indonesia to their training camps in the southern Philippines.

Both JI and Abu Sayyaf have been linked with Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'ida network.

Dulmatin, an electronics whiz, was a protege of master JI bomb-maker Azahari Husin who was killed in Indonesia late last year. He allegedly helped assemble the bombs used at the Sari Club and Paddy's bar in the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20409886-401,00.html

Thursday September 7, 12:59 PM
Indonesia winning plaudits in post-9-11 terrorism battle

JAKARTA (AFP) - The Bali bombings brought the horror of September 11 to Asia, but Indonesia took a different approach to the United States in tackling the Al-Qaeda threat which has met with considerable success.

The 2002 blasts on Indonesia's palm-fringed island of Bali claimed the lives of 202 people, mostly western holidaymakers, in the bloodiest attack to follow the September 11, 2001 atrocities in the United States.

It opened a Southeast Asian front in the so-called "war on terror" by the United States and its allies, and put the spotlight on the world's most populous Muslim nation, where politicians had denied a terror threat existed.

Indonesia surprised many observers by swiftly tracking down the main militants and putting them on trial.

In contrast, the United States has secured only one conviction over the September 11 bombings and has instead chosen to hold hundreds of terrorism suspects indefinitely without trial in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and other unknown locations.

In total, Indonesia has arrested and tried more than 30 militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah regional network. Three key bombers are on death row awaiting execution.


It was largely pressure from a sceptical public that forced Indonesia -- then just emerging as a democracy in the wake of former dictator Suharto's long rule -- to use its justice system to pursue those responsible, analysts said.

"There was an awful lot of pressure from politicians. I don't think they could have taken a harder line upfront," Jakarta-based security analyst Ken Conboy said.

The police had to convince a public -- inclined to believe the attacks were the plot of anti-Islamic foreign governments, or that Indonesians were incapable of launching such a well-planned operation on their own -- that the threat was real.

To do so, they allowed Amrozi, one of the key bombers, to speak to the media while in custody. His laughter and carefree demeanour outraged many relatives of the victims.

"They had a purpose: to show they hadn't coerced a confession out of him. He willingly spoke and that changed a lot of minds in the country," Conboy told AFP.

"The way police handled the original arrests helped people realise that there was a terrorist network. They overcame their collective denial."

Working with counterparts from around the world, the government campaign erased the top layers of the organisation, leaving only lower level, ad hoc cells operational, Conboy said.

"You could basically count on one hand the real dangerous aggressor JI figures," he said, adding that these would include Malaysian fugitive Noordin Mohammad Top and Zulkaernan, both among Asia's most wanted men.

Indonesian police also took a unique approach in dealing with terrorists after their arrests, said Sarlito Wirawan, a senior psychologist from the Universitas Indonesia who has worked with police on cases.

"After they are in detention, they are treated very humanely. Police chat with them, pray with them... They are not pressured under a barrage of questioning," he said.

"This approach has helped several of the suspects, if not change their views radically, at least make them more cooperative."

And due to tight family and friendship ties, just a few helpful suspects have been significant, he said.

"This has made it easy for the police. Once a suspect is caught it is relatively easy to follow the thread and catch the others," he added.

The Southeast Asia director for the International Crisis Group Sidney Jones outlined the distinct approach Indonesia employed to deal with the overall terror threat compared to the United States.

"I think the difference is that the Indonesians have been scrupulous about abiding by the rule of law," she said.

"That is, not engaging in wider spread arbitrary arrests, not holding people for long periods without charge, abiding by existing criminal procedural standards, bringing people to trial in trials fully open to the public and letting them go when they have served their sentences."

Indonesia largely did so unexpectedly, she said, after it was accused of not taking terrorism seriously.

"I think the way that Indonesia has handled terrorism after the first Bali bombing has pretty much silenced that criticism," she said, noting that the country was also only a young democracy.

"I don't think anybody would have expected a country that had as bad a human rights record under Suharto and a problematic legal system would have done as well with handling terrorism cases."

But despite the successes, the threat of small-scale attacks persists in Indonesia, analysts warn.

"I think there probably will be another terrorist bombing, probably in the next couple of months, simply because some of these guys like Noordin Top, that's all they do," Conboy predicted.

"Unless you catch them, that's what they're working towards. He's not going to hang up his explosives vest and say he quits."

Omar al-Faruq, the link person between Al Qaeda and Indonesian terrorists who was arrested in Bogor by BIN in 2002, given to the Americans but escaped from CIA prison later, has been killed in Iraq by British troops.

Terrorist's wife tells of love, heartbreak


Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Mira Agustina learned from the media that her husband Omar al-Farouq, alias Mahmud Ahmad Asegaff, was killed in Iraq on Monday, but is still not convinced he is dead.

"No one from the government has come to my house to tell us what really happened to my husband," Mira said Wednesday at her home in Cisalada village in Bogor, West Java, about an hour's drive from Jakarta.

Mira, wearing an all-enveloping black burqa, said she could not accept that her husband, one of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's top global lieutenants, was dead.

Raising the couple's two young daughters, ages 4 and 6, practically alone, because even when in Indonesia al-Farouq was rarely at home, Mira, 28, said she had long dreamed of the day when the man she affectionately refers to as Pak Mahmud would come home for good.

But she realizes it is now up to her to support her daughters. She has tried working in Jakarta as a babysitter, but didn't like the work and quit.

"I want to sell this house and find a smaller one so I can start a small business to support my children."

But Mira does not want to move from the village because she thinks it is a good place to raise children. She was born in Cisalada and knows everyone, and feels comfortable here.

After al-Farouq was taken by Indonesian intelligence officers and handed over to the U.S. in 2002, Mira relied on her five brothers and sisters to make ends meet and send her daughters to school.

It never occurred to Mira that she would be getting involved with one of the world's most wanted terrorists when she accepted al-Farouq's marriage proposal in 1999.

"We met at a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Jepara, Central Java. He said he saw me and fell in love at first sight. I turned him down three times but he came to my late father to ask for my hand in marriage," she said, declining to name the boarding school.

To Mira and her family al-Farouq was a businessman from Ambon who traveled and moved a lot. The newlyweds moved from one town to another, until al-Farouq sent Mira back to Cisalada to live with her family while he "took care of his business".

"People can call him a terrorist, but to me he was the best husband, the best father for our daughters and the best imam (leader) for our family," Mira said.

A neighbor, Juariah, said she had never had any problems with Mira and respected her for her staunch religious beliefs. "She does not talk much with the neighbors but maybe she doesn't like to gossip. I have know her since she was a little girl and I know the rest of the family. We heard about her husband but we never saw him around here."

Al-Farouq has been linked to thwarted plots on U.S. embassies in Southeast Asia and is alleged to have been a key link between al-Qaeda and regional terrorists.

U.S. leaders have described al-Farouq as the top al-Qaeda operative in Southeast Asia. Caught in Indonesia, al-Farouq escaped from a high-security detention center in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2005.

While on the run al-Farouq never wrote or contacted Mira, although she allows that there are "husband-and-wife matters that need not be shared".

"But now I surrender everything to God. He knows what is best for my husband. I don't know what to say about his death. If the government does not want to take care of his body and fly him back to be buried here, I hope they will help me see him wherever he is now," she said.

Mira is now focusing on raising her daughters. "I want my children to get the best Islamic education so they will grow up as strong women who the world will heed. But most of all, with a strong religious foundation, they will know which side to take, the right one or the wrong one."

Wo, dia jatuh cinta sm Mira, walaupun dia berbaju seperti ninja....

Indonesia steps up security in Java

JAKARTA, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Indonesian security forces have tightened measures in the Central Java region to deter any terrorist acts during Muslim post-Ramadan festivities.

The region has been known as one of the havens for terrorists to escape to or hide.

Sunardi (one name only), chief of operations for Central Java police, told Indonesia's Antara news agency, "We will continue to take anticipatory measures. Everything is handled by the Criminal Investigation Directorate."

The report said there are concerns that Malaysian top terror operative Noordin Moh Top, who remains at large, may hide in Central Java as he has done in the past.

Gloomy outlook for Islamist parties


Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The future of political Islam remains bleak in Indonesia, with fewer than one in 10 Muslims saying they would still vote for Islamic parties in the next election, a survey revealed Sunday.

But the polling conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) shows religious radicalism and extremism remain strong in the nation with the world's largest Muslim population.

The survey of 1,092 Muslims found only 9 percent would choose Islamic parties if the elections were held today.

"The prospects for Islamic parties are filled with uncertainty," Sayuti Asyathri of the National Mandate Party said in response to the survey. "Political Islam should take firm measures to strengthen its activism."

The survey showed that 43 percent of Muslims here preferred to support secular parties, such as Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Democrat Party rather than Islamic parties such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Only 5 percent said they were "close" to Islamic parties.

The survey, which was conducted across the country from September to mid-October, concluded that the political leanings of Indonesian Muslims are basically liberal and pluralistic.

Most respondents also believed that democracy was compatible with Islam and the state ideology of Pancasila.

The poll revealed that 82 percent of the respondents believed in democracy and only 5 percent disagreed with the concept.

"Mainstream Muslims here think that the public sphere should not be regulated by Islamic sharia," said LSI executive director Saiful Mujani.

Political analyst and Muslim scholar Bachtiar Effendy said Islamic parties would never see real success. "They are often too busy with their own issues, such as an Islamic state and sharia," Bachtiar said, adding that the issues had been brought up in academic discourse since the 1960s.

"Nothing is new in LSI's findings. Islamic parties have never won elections," he said, also citing the work of noted American anthropologist Clifford Geertz.

Saiful said Islamic parties must change their political orientation and become more pluralistic in order to survive. "In the end, all parties have to be pluralist."

Despite the apparent weakness of political Islam, the poll found that religious radicalism and extremism quietly have a strong grip on Indonesia.

The survey found significant numbers of Indonesian Muslims agreed with the violent approach used by the Al-Qaeda-linked regional terrorist group Jamaah Islamiyah, which has been fighting for the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia.

According to the survey, 9 percent felt the Bali bombings were justified as a form of "jihad to defend Islam". Another 80.7 percent explicitly condemned the Bali attacks.

"Nine percent is certainly a significant figure to represent people supporting such extreme acts as the Bali attacks," Saiful noted.

In addition, 17.4 percent of respondents said they supported Jamaah Islamiyah, 16.1 percent backed the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) and 7.2 percent supported Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia. The latter two are hard-line Islamic groups campaigning for sharia in the country.

Couriers for terrorist fugitive caught

November 01, 2006 04:08pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse


INDONESIA'S anti-terrorist police arrested three Malaysians suspected of being couriers for fugitive Noordin Top in East Java province, a report said today.

The trio were arrested on Monday in the isolated village of Wonosalam, Jombang district police chief, Dwi Setiadi, told ElShinta radio.

The report gave no names but said the men were suspected of being couriers for Noordin, a Malaysian accused of involvement in a series of deadly attacks in Indonesia.

Mr Setiadi said district police were carefully searching the area for other accomplices.

"If they were captured here, automatically the others would run away, so we are monitoring for any presence of their friends or group members,'' Mr Setiadi told ElShinta.

Noordin is said to have been a key member of the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), but is now believed to have split off to form an even more hardline group.

He has repeatedly given police the slip.

JI was accused of a series of bombings including the 2002 Bali attacks which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

The Papuan separatist terrorist who murdered two American and one Indonesian teachers in 2002 is sentenced to life in prison



Three men accussed of being the perpetrators of the behading attacks against three Christian schoolgirls last year have been brought to trial. Hopefully, the three men will receive the death sentence, hence giving feeling of justice to the local Christian community.

I Think the guy who bombed himself in A&W is a complete Idiot all because of him, Kelly Rowland Cancelled her trip to Indonesia

but the rumours are Absolutley stupid

Kelly Rowland Safe In Los Angeles

by Paul Cashmere - November 14 2006

Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland is safe despite rumors last week that she has involved in a tragic accident in Indonesia.

Rowland was actually in Singapore when a terrorist bombing took place in Jakarta.

Over the weekend, rumors circulated that Kelly has seriously hurt in the bombing.

She was in Singapore when it happened and her show in Jakarta was cancelled following the news.

Kelly is now back in Los Angeles.

A statement from her management reads "Kelly extends her warm thank you to her fans for their concern but wants everyone to know she is well and doing fine".

US blacklists Indonesia militants


Jailed Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is scheduled to be freed in June
The US Treasury says it has blacklisted the alleged spiritual leader of Indonesian militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and three other members.
Radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is in jail for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings but is to be freed in June.

The US Treasury said the members had "been trained, funded and directed by al-Qaeda to pursue a like-minded terrorist agenda".

The move freezes assets and bans US citizens from transacting with the men.

Jemaah Islamiah has been blamed for a series of bombings in the region, most notably that in Bali in October 2002, in which 202 people died.

Ba'asyir was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiracy over the attack.

The US banned the group shortly after the Bali bombings, but it is not banned in Indonesia.

Although the Treasury froze the assets of the four men in the US it did not give any details of their accounts, if any.

The others blacklisted are:


Gun Gun Rusman Gunawan, said to be the younger brother of Jemaah Islamiah operations head Hambali who was arrested in Thailand and is now in US custody.

Taufik Rifki, believed to be the group's ex-finance officer in the Philippines and currently detained there.

Abdullah Anshori, head of a Jemaah Islamiah branch called Mantiq II, the Treasury says. He is one of the most senior leaders still free, it says.



Sorry, old news

Death for people who wishes to disrupt peace in Indonesia!
I'm not being extreme here, am I?

No, youre like me and other Indonesians, we dont like to be blown up by terrorists...

Hahaha, as if there's anyone who'd like that!Or is there any?

I'm 100% Islam and I 100% don't support Terrorism. Wong yang doain Dr.Azhari Mati itu gw.... terkabul lagi!

Wow, pray something for me pls!I want to be the richest guy in the world!

Militant Sentenced for Harboring Top Terrorist Leader in Indonesia

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
22 November 2006


An Indonesian militant has received a life sentence for harboring a top terrorist, and another man was sentenced to six years in jail for his links with terrorists.

An Indonesian court sentenced Subur Sugiarto to life in prison Wednesday for harboring one of Southeast Asia's most wanted fugitives, Noordin Top.

Noordin, a Malaysian thought to be a leader of the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, is accused of masterminding a series of attacks in Indonesia over the past several years that have killed hundreds of people.

The Semarang district court in Central Java also on Wednesday sentenced Ardi Wibowo to six years in jail for helping Noordin and other militants.

Judges found Ardi guilty of "acting as a liaison" between Noordin and militants from Jemaah Islamiyah, which is linked to the al Qaida terror network.

Indonesia has arrested and convicted more than 300 JI members since 2002.

While several have been given lengthy sentences, including two given the death penalty for the part they played in the 2002 Bali bombing, many have been given light jail terms.

Critics say that while Indonesia has worked hard to fight terrorism by following the rule of law, the tradition of shortening sentences by granting holiday remissions allows many militants to get out of jail early.

Ken Conboy, a security expert and author of a book on JI, says all too often militants end up serving less than half their sentences.

"The problem is they often get light sentences and then even if they get like five years, they end up getting out after one or two," he said. "On the books it looks great. Yes, they process these people and they actually prosecute but the laws on the books don't seem to be enough to deter people."

Conboy says a concern now is many of those being released have only become more radical while in jail.

"Okay so they go into jail for a couple of years," he said. "They're already used to hardship, that's hardly more of a hardship. They come out and then they've almost like been martyred and then they get more street cred [credibility]. It's been a concern a lot of these guys just aren't getting stiff enough sentences that are really deterrents."

The Indonesian authorities have intensified their search for Noordin since the death of his associate, Azahari bin Husin, thought to have been one of JI's top bomb makers. Azahari blew himself up when police raided his hideout in Central Java in November last year.

Agree totally, however, it should't just give a feeling justice to the local Christian community, but to the entire community. Anybody who supports these three bigots should be ashamed of themselves.

The domestic intelligence network that works so well in keeping the country safe from terrorism during the Suharto years will soon be re-activated. This system was blunderously disbanded by President Wahid in 2000, causing the govt to be blind and weakening its ability to detect and prevent the preparations for violent terrorism, secterian violence, and separatism.

Restoration of this intelligence system is a good step forward for the country's safety. Under this system, at every village there were a number of secret govt spies who lived as normal civilians and mixed with the population. Their duty was to detect any possible security threats and reporting it to the local authorities for quick preventive action. The identity of these spies are only known to the local district military chief. The spies from Suharto era are still around, so it won't be difficult to restore the spy network to its former strength.

Bali Gets High Marks in Australian Safety Audit

One of Australia's leading private security companies, SNP Security, recently completed an intensive four-day safety audit of Bali and its tourism industry that tracked significant improvements in the Island's approach to safety and security.

The Managing Director of SNP Security, Tom Roche, said Bali today is in a visibly and vastly more improved security situation than ever before.

SNP Security was commissioned to conduct the audit by the Sydney-based Public Affairs company S2i Communications who are seeking to quantify claims of security improvements in Bali.

S2i CEO, Wayne Tregaskis, insisted that any revised assessments of security in Bali must be based on tangible facts. "Any claims of Bali being a safe destination for travelers to visit, needs to be treated seriously and the security audit was one such way of doing that," said Tregaskis.

"What the SNP Security audit has provided is evidence that it is an appropriate time for Bali to resume its place on the list of desirable holiday destinations for Australians," he added.

Continuing, "it has also provided an opportunity for those promoting the island to do so with a higher degree of confidence in relation to safety and security matters."

"Certainly travelers everywhere need to maintain a higher level of security consciousness than they did prior to 9/11, but Bali can no longer be singled out as being any less secure than any of the other destinations of the world such as London, New York or Madrid."

Hopefully (Praying to God) this will be the first year in 4 years that Indonesia is Free from Major Bombs

amin
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Indonesia sees no signs terrorists are plotting Christmas attacks

Jakarta, Dec 22. (AP): Indonesia has no reason to believe terrorists are plotting attacks over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the intelligence chief said Thursday, but troops will be deployed at churches across the world's most populous Muslim nation.

``The security situation is good,'' Syamsir Siregar said, ``but we remain on alert.''

Indonesia has been hit by annual terror attacks in recent years blamed on the al-Qaida-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, and with 2006 so far bomb-free many people worry another attack is imminent.

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs warned this week that the threat of an attack over the holiday season was ``serious'' and ``credible,'' and said foreigners could be targeted. Hotels, malls, businesses, housing compounds, places of worship and schools were potentially at risk, they said.

But Siregar said, there were ``no signs'' attacks were being planned.

``God willing, Christmas and New Year ... will be safe,'' he said.

Indonesian militant killed in clash in Philippines, navy says

MANILA (AP): An Indonesian member of the al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) was among six Muslim militants killed at the weekend in a sea clash with Philippine troops off the country's southern coast, an official said Sunday.

The Philippine army, navy, and marines were involved in Saturday's gunbattle that killed the six militants aboard a motorboat off Tawi Tawi province, 1,050 kilometers southwest of Manila, navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said.

Indonesian terrorist suspect Gufran, allegedly belonged to the Indonesian-based militant group JI, was among the dead, Bacordo said.

Five Filipinos members of Abu Sayyaf, a group also thought to have links to al-Qaeda, also were killed, he said.

Gufran was a key aide of Dulmatin, a top Indonesian terror suspect who has been hunted by troops in a months long U.S.-backed offensive on southern Jolo island, he said.

Gufran's reported death bolsters military reports that Indonesian militants have taken refuge in the southern Philippines -- scene of a decades-old Islamic separatist insurgency.

Philippine authorities reported on Saturday that among the Filipino militants killed was Judnam Jamalul. Jamalul was among 17 Abu Sayyaf members, including the group's chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, who are wanted by the United States for attacks onAmerican citizens.

U.S. and Philippine authorities have offered a reward of US$20,000 for Jamalul's capture.

Another ranking Abu Sayyaf member, Abu Hubaida, and two key aides of Janjalani and prominent Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Sulaiman were also killed in Saturday's clash. Troops recovered two M16 rifles, an M203 grenade launcher and huge amounts of ammunition on the rebels' boat, marine spokesman Lt. Col. ArielCaculitan said.

Troops were pursuing the militants but they managed to flee from Jolo two days ago. Marines spotted and engaged the group Saturday in a firefight off Tawi Tawi, he said.

An officer involved in the assault said the military had information that the militants were planning to carry out kidnappings in Tawi Tawi to raise funds. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk tothe media.

More than 7,000 army troops and marines have been hunting the Abu Sayyaf's top leaders and allied Indonesian militants since Aug. 1 but have failed so far to find them. The militants' death Saturday was among the most important achievements of that campaign, Caculitan said.

Janjalani was reportedly killed in a clash on Jolo in September and troops recovered what were believed to be his remains last month. U.S. forensic experts are helping verify the identity of the body using DNA tests. (***)

Interesting, what are the Tamil Tigers doing in Indonesia?

Still im perplexed to think that Osama Bin Laden was trained by CIA.. i knew about this from "Metro TV".

Osama bin Laden was not trained directly by CIA, it was just during the Cold War, bin Laden and USA was on the same side against a common enemy: the godless communist Soviet forces occupying Afghanistan. After USSR collapsed in 1991, gone are the common enemy and the two sides, Al-Qaeda and USA, eventually became enemies.

So they were "friends", just like what i thought.

Police officers should be more careful, they definately shouldn't be travelling alone near the funeral of a terrorist who has just been killed by the police! I say the police should arrest everyone who was on that funeral, arrest them, and anally penetrated them like what they did with the Papuan rioters who lynched some policemen last year.

Indonesian police intensify hunting militants in Poso, give warning

Indonesian police in Poso of Central Sulawesi province intensified pursuing fugitive terrorist suspects on Wednesday after failure reaching agreement with local leaders to slow down the hunt and warned to shoot on site those provocating violence or illegally carrying weapon, Poso police chief said.

Police chief Rudi Suparyadi said on Tuesday that the police could not meet the request of the scores of Poso leaders to slow down the hunt of the fugitives, due to there were still explosions and shootings from unidentified person afterwards.

"We intensively pursue the militants, (and we will) shoot on site the provocators or those illegally carrying weapon," he told Xinhua on telephone from the province.

The police chief stressed the policy has been officially declared on Tuesday evening.

"There were several local leaders gathered here, demanding police to conduct the hunt gradually in order to not to disturb the community. I said we may be cooling down in condition that no blast or shooting," said Suparyadi.

"But last night there were shootings and bomb battles. We resume intensifying our hunt, the agreement is aborted," he added.

The police chief stressed that the shooting and the bombs were launched by unidentified people not from the police.

The police convinced that there are still many weapons illegally possessed by the people in the town of Poso, regarding some explosions erupted recently, Poso police spokesman Muhammad Kilat has said.

Three explosions erupted in Poso on Sunday evening, but no casualty reported, he said.

On Tuesday police in Poso called those illegally possessing weapons to hand them to authorities or to be shot on site, provincial police spokesman Muhammad Kilat said.

The tense of security has mounted in Poso since the killing of two militants and one policeman last week that followed by scores of blasts.

The spokesman said the policy was made to prevent more violence and to avoid more people get killed.

Separately here, Indonesian police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said 19 out of 29 fugitive militant suspects of implicating in the sectarian clashes with Christians that erupted from 1999 to 2000, are still at large in the province.

The strife left thousands of lives dead and was terminated by the peace agreement in 2001.

On Sunday, the police conducted a raid and found seven active bombs and seven kilograms of Calium chlorate in Poso, belonging to the militants groups.

The spokesman revealed that one of the slain militant suspects named Ryan alias Abdul Hakim of 40, whom killed on Thursday last week, was a senior member of the Al Qaeda link in Southeast Asia militant group of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

"He (Ryan) used to study in Afghanistan. He was in one group with Mukhlas," Bachrul Alam told Xinhua.

Mukhlas, who is on death row now, played leading roles in the series of suicide blasts in the country. Hundreds of people were killed in the blasts from 2000 to 2005.

"Ryan was a cleric whom had ordered other militants to prepare bombs for explosions in Poso," said Bachrulalam.

Poso town has been restored from the tense of security at mid- 2006, after the killing of a Catholic priest in Palu, the capital of the province and incident between police and Muslim communities in October.

In September last year, Indonesia executed three Christians for conviction of triggering mob into a sectarian violence in 2000 in Poso.

Scores of blasts had occurred in some spots of Poso before and after the executions of the three Christians, but no casualty reported.

Over 87 percent of Indonesia's 240 million populations is Muslim, but in some areas of eastern part of the country, including in the Central Sulawesi province, the proportion of Muslims and Christians is equal.

Source: Xinhua

The police killed nine militants in a raid today on the hideout of terrorists who have been exploding bombs and killing random Christians in Poso for the past years in an unsuccessful plot to sabotage the Malino Peace Accord I of 2001. Finally some tough action to annihilate terrorism!

This looks like a big succes! Hopefully this wil decrease terroristic attacks against our people.

Police hunt for militants after deadly raid
POSO, Central Sulawesi (AP): Police searched jungles on Tuesday in their hunt for suspected Islamic militants blamed for a string of attacks on Christians, a day after 13 alleged terrorists andone officer were killed in a gunbattle with security forces on Sulawesi Island.

The raid on the conflict-ridden Indonesian Island was a sharp escalation in the fight against terrorists in the world's most populous Muslim nation. Police said they only shot the men aftercoming under attack.

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Badrodin Haiti said he believed more than 50 other militants had escaped Monday's raid in the seaside town of Poso and had fled to nearby hills and jungles.

"They are dangerous because they still have automatic weapons and ammunition," he told The Associated Press. "We are searching for them."

Most of Indonesia's 190 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith, but terrorists have gained a foothold in recent years, carrying out a string of deadly terrorist attacks that have left scores dead.

Many have set up base on Sulawesi Island, the scene of bloody fighting between Muslim and Christian gangs six years ago that left at least 1,000 people from both faiths dead. Islamic extremists have been blamed for sporadic bombings, shootings andother attacks since then.

Security forces have carried out several operations on Sulawesi against Muslim militants they had publicly accused of being behind the attacks. Senior officers made public calls for the men to turn themselves in and met with local hard-line Muslimleaders to try and enlist their help, but had no success.

Hard-liner threatens holy war against Indonesian police for killing Muslim militants
JAKARTA (AP): An alleged Southeast Asian terror leader threatened to call for holy war against Indonesian police Thursday, days after an anti-terror squad shot dead 15 suspected Islamic extremists.

Abu Bakar Bashir, accused by Australia and the United States of being a key figure in the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, said Muslims should stop serving in the police's anti-terror squad on Indonesia's conflict-ridden Sulawesi island.

"If Muslims are being killed, then we must fight back," the 69-year-old cleric told around 100 hard-liners outside the National Human Rights Commission in the capital, Jakarta, where they were protesting Monday's killings.

"If necessary, we must organize a jihad," he said.

Police say they shot the 15 men Monday after coming under attack as they entered a militant stronghold in Poso, a flash- point town on Sulawesi. They recovered large numbers of guns, bombs and ammunition.

Islamic groups and politicians have criticized police following the raid.

However, Indonesia's vice president, other government officials and most of the media in the world's most populous Muslim nation have supported the operation.

"There is an attempt in Poso to eliminate the Muslims so the unbelievers will control the town," Bashir said. "I curse the actions of (the anti-terror squad) Densus 88 for killing Muslims and helping the unbelievers."

The International Crisis Group think tank said Wednesday that the operation appeared to be justified, but warned that it could backfire by inflaming Islamic terrorists on Sulawesi and elsewhere in Indonesia.

Six years ago, Sulawesi was the scene of bloody battles between Muslim and Christian gangs that left about 1,000 people dead and attracted Islamic militants from all over Indonesia.

Bashir was released from jail last year after serving 26 months behind bars for conspiracy in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings. In December, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction and ordered that his name be cleared. (***)

Key militant among those killed in Poso
JAKARTA (Agencies): A top Southeast Asian terrorist who attended an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan was killed along with 14 other militants during a battle in Poso, South Sulawesi this week, a security official said Friday.

The suspect - an Indonesian identified as Mahmud - was the second Afghan-trained militant killed this month on Sulawesi, the scene of bloody fighting between Christians and Muslims six years ago.

Ins. Gen. Ansyaad Mbai was quoted by AP as saying said Mahmud was a member of Jemaah Islamiyah, the al-Qaida linked terror group blamed for attacks and failed terror plots in Southeast Asia since 2000.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said denied that conflict in the area involved a large number of people in the South Sulawesi's town.

"What happens in Poso involve small part of people, who spread terror," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying. (**)

^ thumb up for Detasemen 88.

In my humble opinion, those who hijacking the name of Islam to spread terror and violence can rot in hell....

Indeed, they abusing our religion, so they commit double dosa: killing innocent people and destroying the image fo Islam.


WAPRES: YANG DIPERLUKAN DI POSO PASUKAN ANTI TEROR


Jakarta - Wakil Presiden M Jusuf Kalla mengatakan yang terjadi di Poso saat ini adalah adanya sekelompok kecil orang yang meneror dan melakukan indoktrinasi bahwa membunuh itu halal sehingga yang diperlukan adalah (pasukan) anti teror.

"Yang terjadi di Poso ini, sekelompok kecil orang yang meneror bukan konflik. Coba tunjukkan, tak ada konflik di masyarakat, tetapi yang ada teror sehingga diperlukan (pasukan) anti teror, itu yang diperlukan," kata Wapres M Jusuf Kalla ketika ditanya mengenai kasus Poso seusai sholat jumat di Jakarta, jumat.

Wapres menegaskan di Poso saat ini tidak terjadi konflik antar-masyarakat namun yang ada hanyalah sekelompok kecil orang melakukan teror dengan membunuh atau melepar bom.

Wapres mencontohkan adanya pemenggalan kepala seorang siswa SMA, hal itu sebuah tindak pidana yang bertujuan meneror bukan sebuah konflik masyarakat.

"Sekarang ini ada pengajaran, indoktrinasi sebagian orang bahwa membunuh orang itu halal," kata Wapres.

Wapres juga menjelaskan bahwa perjanjian Malino dahulu untuk menyelesaikan konflik antarwarga dan hal itu telah selesai. Sehingga kata Wapres sangat salah pendapat sebagian orang yang mengatakan perjanjian Malino telah gagal.

"Jadi siapa pun yang bilang Malino itu gagal, salah besar dan itu orang yang tak tahu masalah," kata Wapres.

Ketika ditanyakan adanya ketidakpuasan sebagian masyarakat atas jatuhnya korban 13 orang tewas, dalam pengerebekan Densus 88 anti teror untuk menangkap buron, Wapres mengakui bahwa memang tidak bisa memuaskan semua orang.

"Tak mungkin orang seratus persen puas, tetapi tak mungkin polisi tak berbuat," kata Wapres.

Selama ini polisi telah melakukan tindakan persuasif agar buron dalam DPO bersedia menyerahkan diri secara sukarela. Namun, tambah Wapres, mereka tidak mau menyerahkan diri.

Alasannya, pemerintah dianggap tidak memenuhi janjinya untuk memberikan bantuan dana bagi pengungsi dan tidak melakukan penangkapan terhadap 16 nama yang disebutkan terpidana mati Tibo.

Menurut Wapres, dana bagi pengungsi Poso telah disalurkan ratusan miliar rupiah dan telah dibangun ribuan rumah.

"Ratusan miliar dana pengungsi sudah diberikan, ribuan rumah sudah dibangun tetapi kalau ada yang bawa bom lagi, orang takut lagi mereka lari," kata Wapres.

Jadi, tambahnya, bukan pemerintah yang tak menyelesaikan masalah tersebut namun mereka (kelompok kecil) itulah yang tak menginginkan selesainya konflik di Poso.

Mengenai 16 nama yang disebutkan Tibo, Wapres mengatakan sebagian dari nama-nama yang disebutkan Tibo tersebut, tujuh orang di antaranya sudah ditangkap dan diadili.

Nama-nama seperti Lateka sudah disidangkan dan saat ini telah meninggal dunia. Begitu pula Herman Pawiro sudah divonis empat tahun namun saat ini meninggal di rumah sakit karena kanker.

"Selebihnya disebutkan sebagai provokator namun itu tidak terbukti di persidangan, karena waktu itu hampir semua tokoh-tokoh ikut berpihak. Kalau itu kita hukum nanti semua dihukum," kata Wapres.




KODAM VII BKO-KAN 200 PERSONIL TNI UNTUK AMANKAN POSO


Makassar - Kodam VII/Wirabuana telah mem-BKO-kan (Bawah Kendali Operasi) sebanyak 200 personil TNI ke Polda Sulawesi Tengah untuk mendukung kepolisian memulihkan keamanan di Kota Poso, pasca aksi baku tembak antara oknum-oknum sipil bersenjata dengan aparat kepolisian pekan lalu.

"Mereka sudah operasi di sana di bawah kendali Kapolda Sulteng sejak beberapa hari lalu," kata Pangdam VII/Wirabuana, Mayjen TNI Arief Budi Sampurno di Makassar, Senin.

Setibanya dari Jakarta usai mengikuti Rapim TNI, Mayjen Arief kepada pers di VIP Room Bandara Hasanuddin Makassar mengatakan, personil yang di-BKO-kan itu diambil dari Batalyon 714/Sintuwu Maroso yang bermarkas di Maliwuko, sekitar enam kilometer dari Poso.

"Tugas mereka semuanya diatur oleh Kapolda," ujar Pangdam yang mengatakan bahwa penyerahan pasukan itu dilakukan atas permintaan Kapolda Sulsel pekan lalu.

Ditanya sampai kapan personil TNI itu di BKO-kan ke Polda Sulsel, Mayjen Arief mengatakan tergantung pada Kapolda Sulteng sampai kapan mereka membutuhkannya.

Ia juga mengatakan bahwa situasi keamanan di Poso sudah terkendali dan aktivitas masyarakat sudah kembali normal, namun aparat keamanan masih terus bersiaga dan tetap melakukan razia senjata yang dimiliki masyarakat.

Ditanya mengenai keberadaan senjata di tangan warga sipil itu, Pangdam mengatakan bahwa dirinya sudah lama menerima informasi itu namun sulit sekali untuk menemukannya. Nanti ada razia seperti ini barulah senjata-senjata itu tertangkap semuanya, tambahnya.

Ia juga mengaku mengetahui bahwa senjata-senjata itu dipasok dari luar Poso, termasuk dari Philipina namun sulit untuk mendapatkan bukti-bukti di lapangan.


Sumber : antara