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| Southeast Asia |
| Dulmatin, Umar Patek split from JI, set up Philippines base |
| 2005-12-01 |
| Two Jamaah Islamiyah leaders have cut their ties with the Indonesian-based terrorist group and established a base in the southern Philippines to continue waging attacks in both countries, according to a captured Indonesian militant. My guess is that this is another aspect of the internal politicking within JI over whether or not to carry out attacks in Indonesia. It may also relate to the reported funding crisis that Azahari and Top were experiencing since all the JI cash is relayed via Soddies to the Philippines and from there to Indonesia. The question now is whether Top is going to join them or remain his own player, in which case there's a 3-way schism going on in JI. Somebody bring me the popcorn. The Indonesian militants - Dulmatin, who goes by one name, and Umar Patek - have trained recruits and plotted attacks in their southern Philippine base, but their efforts have been hampered by several arrests and army offensives, according to a report on the interrogation of Abdullah Sunata, an alleged rebel leader captured in Indonesia in June. A copy of the confidential report on Sunata's interrogation in Indonesia was seen by The Associated Press on Thursday. Dulmatin, an electronics specialist known for his bomb-making expertise, and Patek, who has focused on recruitment and training, are key suspects in the 2002 nightclub bombings that killed 202 people in Indonesia's Bali island. The attacks are blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah. Last October, Washington announced rewards of up to US$10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Dulmatin, and up to US$1 million for the capture of Patek, citing their alleged role in the 2002 Bali attack and involvement in Jamaah Islamiyah. But Sunata said the two men told him in 2003 that they had cut their ties with Jamaah Islamiyah amid an intense manhunt for them by Indonesian police for their alleged roles in the Bali attacks.He said the two fled separately to the southern Philippines sometime in March and April of that year, according to the report. He was quoted as saying in the report that the two men "already cut their ties with the JI." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |