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| Southeast Asia |
| Bloodthirsty holy man in custody... |
| 2002-11-21 |
| Police arrested an alleged mastermind of the Bali bombings that killed nearly 200 people last month, Indonesia's chief of intelligence said Thursday. Imam Samudra, an Afghan-trained militant with alleged links to the al Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, is said to have planned the Oct. 12 attack and helped build the bombs that exploded outside the Sari Club nightclub and in Paddy's bar. Samudra was arrested in the western port town of Merak on Indonesia's main island of Java, said A.M. Hendropriyono, chief of the national intelligence agency. Using information from Samudra's arrested guards, police captured him on a bus pulling up to a ferry bound for the western Indonesian island of Sumatra. Police were searching for eight other suspects, spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said. The Indon coppers don't seem to do badly, with the Aussies looking over their shoulders, anyway... Samudra's arrest could give authorities information into the workings of Jemaah Islamiyah, which has planned a series of attacks against Western interests in Southeast Asia. Samudra, a leading member of the group, was responsible for carrying out the Bali blasts on the orders of Jemaah Islamiyah's alleged operations chief Riduan Isamuddin, known as Hambali, an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity. Hambali has been implicated in operations ranging from logistical support for the Sept. 11 hijackers to bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines. "We hope that through him we can get Hambali," Hendropriyono said. "I also am confident that the rest of (the suspects) will be caught soon." It would be extra-fine to get Hambali. I get the impression he's the brains in the operation, while Bashir provides the arrogance... National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said authorities' first break in the case came Tuesday, when they arrested two of Samudra's guards near his hometown, Serang. The men led them to Samudra, who was arrested Thursday afternoon. "We'll die before we betray our holy man!... Uh... Hey! Those aren't, uh... hooked up are they?... We'll talk! We'll talk! |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |