The Indonesian President says a Malaysian who allegedly played key roles in a series of deadly bombings in Indonesia narrowly escaped a police dragnet recently. Former university professor Azahari Husin has become the most wanted terrorist suspect in Indonesia, accused of building the bombs used in the worst extremist attacks in the country in recent years. "I have always kept track and the police chief from time to time informs me about the development [of the hunt]," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in an interview with the Koran Tempo daily. "I was told [he] was almost caught but slipped away."
Dr Yudhoyono, also known as SBY, said he had told police to intensify their hunt for Azahari and his Malaysian associate, alleged chief recruiter Noordin Mohammed Top. The President, who was sworn into office last October, has made arresting the pair among his top priorities in his first 100 days in office, but the deadline has passed and the two remain at large. Police said they were close to catching Azahari and Noordin in late 2003. Officers said they had trouble recognising them because they frequently changed their appearances, sometimes disguising themselves as beggars or professors. |