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| Southeast Asia |
| Asian terrorists set sights on leaders |
| 2004-08-05 |
Thu, Aug. 05, 2004 By Michael Casey Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia — Shifting tactics, an al-Qaida-linked group that staged the deadliest post-Sept. 11 terrorist bombing is believed to be planning assassinations of Western and regional leaders in Asia, moving away from large-scale strikes against civilian targets, officials told The Associated Press. Increasingly isolated and on the run, Jemaah Islamiyah's capabilities have been eroded by dozens of arrests, a shortage of money and divisions within its leadership. As a result, the group isn't focusing on coordinated attacks like the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people and the 2003 suicide bombing of the J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta, which killed 12 people, officials told the AP. "The threat has been contained but it is still there and has not been eliminated completely," said Zainal Abidin Zain, director-general of Southeast Asia's U.S.-backed anti-terrorism center in Malaysia. Jemaah Islamiyah remains the most dangerous terrorist group in Southeast Asia. But the Marriott bombing was the last large-scale attack attributed to the group. Some security officials suggest the arrests of key members — including Hambali, the group's alleged operations chief — has stripped it of the ability to strike big anytime soon. Remnants of Jemaah Islamiyah have tried to regroup in Indonesia so they could launch more strikes, a Malaysian government official said on condition of anonymity. But they were hindered by the absence of a strong leader like Hambali, he said. "There is no one of Hambali's caliber to step in and take over," another Malaysia security official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity. Lack of skill will not prevent someone less talented from stepping into Hambali's shoes. Expect less well-planned atrocities that cause more collateral damage. Jemaah Islamiyah's alleged leader, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, is jailed in Indonesia awaiting trial on allegations that he ordered the Marriott attack and other charges. An Afghan-trained Indonesian who goes by the name Zulkarnaen replaced Hambali as operations chief after his arrest last August, authorities say. The group still has an estimated 2,000 operatives throughout Southeast Asia thanks to a recruiting drive. But the organization has been infiltrated by informants, doesn't have enough money and faces a public increasingly intolerant of terrorism, according to Sidney Jones, a terrorism expert who has studied Jemaah Islamiyah. Too bad the local governments aren't "increasingly intolerant" of terrorism. "All the major bombing operations that we know of involved the transfer of some money from outside," Jones said. "From interrogation depositions that we've gotten hold of, it seems there isn't enough money to support the organization let alone the families of members who have been detained." The Marriott bombing sparked outrage in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, because 11 of the 12 victims were Indonesian, many poorly paid hotel workers and taxi drivers. Muslim lawyers who represented the Bali bombers refused to defend the 14 Marriott suspects, including some who later apologized and are cooperating. HERE'S THE CORKER: Note how the Bali bombers, who killed many more people, still merited defense by Muslim lawyers. However, the Jakarta bombers, who did not kill one tenth the number of people were refused representation because the majority of their victims were Islamic. Consider the implications very carefully. The lawyers are saying that it is all right to kill hundreds of non-Islamic people but any harm of fellow Muslims commands legal censure. Shouldn't these lawyers be instantly disbarred for showing judicial bias as officers of the court? This sort of "anything goes for the infidels" mentality needs to earn these maggots some swift onset lead poisoning. The Marriott bombing also sparked divisions within Jemaah Islamiyah, In-donesian police say. Key members pushed to abandon attacks on so-called soft targets, saying they're immoral and fail to further their goals of establishing an Islamic state by 2025, police said. They would rather focus on religious indoctrination and building a base throughout the country. Police have warned that Jemaah Islamiyah is planning attacks to disrupt Indonesia's presidential election Sept. 20. A senior Indonesian anti-terrorism official, Ansyaad Mbai, said police were investigating information that Jemaah Islamiyah has shifted to assassination squads. EMPHASIS ADDED |
| Posted by:Zenster |