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| Southeast Asia |
| Terror Suspect Escapes Philippine Jail |
| 2003-07-14 |
| An Indonesian man who allegedly confessed to involvement in bombings in Manila that killed 22 people escaped from jail early Monday, police said. Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, a reputed leader of Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, escaped from police intelligence custody along with two other Filipino suspected Muslim extremists, national Police Chief Hermogenes Ebdane said. The escape took place before dawn from the heavily secured intelligence command building at Camp Crame, the national police headquarters in Manila. Ebdane said police guarding the three extremists were being investigated. Shit. Sounds like some of Al-Ghozi’s friends paid some ’bail’ The escape was a serious blow to Philippines efforts to battle terrorism and was particularly embarrassing because Australian Prime Minister John Howard was in Manila to provide counterterrorism assistance. Police chief Supt. Jesus Verzosa, who heads the national police intelligence group which had custody of Al-Ghozi, has offered to resign, according to Ebdane, who did not say if he had accepted. Ebdane identified the other escapees as Abdul Edris and Meram Abante. Police say Al-Ghozi has confessed involvement in the five Dec. 30, 2000, bombings in Manila. His confessions have been used to file charges against alleged co-conspirators, including Saifullah Yunos, who pleaded guilty to helping plan the attacks. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #4 UPDATE: The head of the Philippines' national police force says at least three officers under his control have been implicated in the escape of a senior Jemaah Islamiah figure from a Manila jail. Manila police have launched a manhunt for Indonesian national Fathur Rohman Al Ghozi and two Filipino militants after their escape from a supposedly high-security cell inside the national police headquarters in Manila. Intelligence agencies say he is an expert bomb-maker who taught other JI members how to use explosives. National police chief Hermones Ebdane has issued officers involved in the hunt with an effective shoot-to-kill order. The police chief described the escape as a black mark against his force. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-7-14 4:46:37 PM |
| #3 Ah, the old "crawl into the burn bag" trick... |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-7-14 1:18:27 PM |
| #2 Must not be very secure if they escaped from a "heavily secured intelligence command building". |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-14 7:42:12 AM |
| #1 A strong argument for giving all JI/Queda/Islamofascists the death penalty. We don't want them getting out and blowing up more innocents. Come on USA you know you are going to have to use Nukes sooner or later. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-7-14 5:11:28 AM |