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| Southeast Asia |
| Filippino intel knew attack was imminent |
| 2005-10-03 |
| FOR MONTHS intelligence officials had received information about a terrorist attack like the latest Bali bombing--but the plot's details were not uncovered in time to thwart it, Philippine security officials said Sunday. Ric Blancaflor, executive director of a Philippine anti-terrorism task force, said Southeast Asia's intelligence community was aware that the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group was orchestrating a major strike, possibly in the Philippines or Indonesia. "The fact that there's going to be an attack was known to the intelligence community," Blancaflor said. "The problem always is how to get the exact details, like where." A police intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of his work, said Indonesia was warned by Western security officials of a possible attack before Saturday's deadly bombings. He didn't elaborate. The official also said Jemaah Islamiyah has been trying to solicit funds from the Middle East to finance a major strike in the Philippines. "The threat has not diminished," said Blancaflor. Philippine security officials warned last month that at least two Jemaah Islamiyah would-be suicide bombers may have already slipped into the country to carry out an attack with the help of Abu Sayyaf Muslim militants. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged the public to help thwart attacks. "The new Bali attacks after the London attacks show the resiliency of terrorists to strike targets when our guard is down," she said in a statement. National police Director General Arturo Lomibao placed the 115,000-strong police force on "heightened alert," requiring at least half of the force to be on stand-by in camps, following the latest Bali attacks. Intelligence gathering would be intensified and security in resorts frequented by foreigners would be further strengthened as a precaution, he said. The Philippines has been regarded as a terrorist breeding ground. Western nations have expressed concern over the presence of Jemaah Islamiyah training camps in the country's south, fearing they could produce militants who could strike anywhere. Officials, however, say that troops have overrun those camps and were pursuing Indonesian militants and Abu Sayyaf guerrillas fleeing from a months-long offensive. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 Why does the phrase 'Keystone Cops' gome to mind everything Arroyo's efforts are mentioned? I wonder how much of that $16M Arroyo paid for that filipino hostage went to the Bali blast? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-10-03 19:42 |
| #1 Intelligence services remind me of cops in a car chase. They always call it off right before the guy they're chasing hits a tree or some poor sap on his way home from work. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-10-03 10:08 |