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| Southeast Asia |
| U.S. links al-Qaida to embassy plot |
| 2002-10-01 |
| U.S. counterterrorism officials believe Hambali, an Indonesian cleric whose real name is Riduan Isamuddin, the operations chief of an al-Qaida affiliate in Southeast Asia, played a key role in a failed plot to bomb at least one American embassy in the region to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Hambali is one of the top two leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional Islamic extremist network with cells in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand, according to U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Hambali seems to be into bombing embassies. His henchmen aren't very good at it, but he wants to blow something... Counterterrorism officials learned of the bombing plot when a suspected al-Qaida leader now in U.S. custody gave up the plan. His threats led to the closure of embassies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Hambali's precise role in the plot has also not been laid out, but terrorism officials suspect him of organizing other terrorist attacks as well. The prisoner, Omar al-Farouq, has been identified as al-Qaida's top operations chief in the region and a liaison between al-Qaida's senior leadership and Hambali. Al-Farouq was captured by Indonesian authorities on June 5, and turned over to U.S. officials. He recently began talking to his interrogators. I love it when they sing... His interrogation has provided a clearer picture of Jemaah Islamiyah, a group U.S. officials say has a twofold purpose: to create an Islamic state in Southeast Asia and to conduct acts of terrorism against U.S. interests. Jemaah Islamiyah resembles al-Qaida in organization and, like al-Qaida, operates across international boundaries. This is unlike many other groups affiliated with al-Qaida, many of which are focused on overthrowing the government of a single country. They're more ambitious. It's that old Domino Theory thing, uniting all the Malay-speaking peoples and grabbing off some territory from the adjoining infidels... Leadership of the group is split between Hambali, who handles operations, and Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, another Indonesian cleric who denies links to terrorism but is believed to be the group's spiritual leader, according to U.S., Singaporean and Malaysian officials. The group has sent people to Osama bin Laden's Afghan camps and received money from al-Qaida. He also hangs around with the Indonesian vice president, so his protection comes from the top... Hambali's whereabouts are unknown. According to Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry, Hambali also gave the orders to Jemaah Islamiyah operatives who were arrested in December 2001 in connection with plots to bomb the U.S. Embassy in the city-state and American naval targets. In addition, Hambali is tied to two Sept. 11 suicide hijackers. He is believed to have arranged the January 2000 meeting of Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi with a senior al-Qaida operative, Tawfiq Attash Khallad, one of the masterminds of the USS Cole bombing later that year. The subject of the meeting remains a mystery. We can guess, though... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #2 lol now that's BAD! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2002-10-01 17:12:25 |
| #1 "but he wants to blow something..." How about John Walker Lindh? |
| Posted by: Raj 2002-10-01 16:21:14 |