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Indonesians hunting 6 suicide bombers
Police say they are hunting for as many as six Indonesian militants poised to become suicide bombers — a calling once alien to this predominantly Muslim country but one that now poses an increasingly common threat. The Jemaah Islamiah network, which police say is responsible for three terrorist attacks on Western targets in less than two years, continues to expand and attract new members in Indonesia despite a police crackdown and the arrest of many of its leaders, police and terrorism experts say. New leaders are being trained to replace those who have been captured, and the group — which can operate legally in Indonesia to raise funds and provide religious education — presents a constant danger, they say. The ability of Jemaah Islamiah militants to evade police was apparently demonstrated with this month's truck bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. The blast outside the embassy gate, attributed to the group, killed at least 10 people, including at least one suicide bomber. Experts are analyzing unidentified body parts in an attempt to determine how many attackers were involved. The bomb, placed in a small truck, was so powerful that the largest piece of the vehicle recovered was a hubcap. A human torso was thrown across eight lanes of traffic into a construction site, and additional remains were found a week later on the fifth floor of a heavily damaged office building next to the embassy. Police are investigating whether the body parts belonged to any of the six recruits who pledged to Jemaah Islamiah leaders to become suicide attackers. Authorities believe they know the identities of the six, and have taken blood samples from relatives to see whether their DNA matches that of the remains found at the bomb site. So far, the results have been negative. They also recovered letters one of the men wrote to his parents and wife saying he would become a martyr and asking for forgiveness. "There are many people who are ready to carry out suicide bombings," said Brig. Gen. Pranowo, director of the national police anti-terrorism unit, who uses one name. "They believe the most important thing in their lives is their religious duty to carry out jihad." Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-09-29 |
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