Article

2003-12-17 Southeast Asia

Indonesian police to free two suspected extremists

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Posted by Fred Pruitt 2003-12-17 00:02|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The problem may be a bit more complicated . . .

Two Terror-Linked Students to be Released

Laksamana.Net - Police say they will release two of six students recently deported from Pakistan on suspicion of alleged terrorism links, while the four others are likely to be declared suspects.

Brigadier General Pranowo Dahlan, director of the National Police's anti-terror squad, on Tuesday (16/12/03) said there was insufficient evidence to detain students David Pintarto and Anwar As-Shiddiqi.

The four others, Rusman âGun Gunâ Gunawan, Mohammad Syaifudin, Ilham Sofyandi and Furqon Abdullah, will remain in police custody for further questioning over their alleged links to regional terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah. Police have until Friday to charge them.

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US Cooperation Sought

Indonesian police on Monday reportedly asked the US for access to Hambali, saying they need to question him as part of their investigations into the six detained students and other terror suspects.

"What we are developing in this investigation is connected to what we have known about their links to Hambali," National Police chief General Dai Bachtiar was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"We again remind the United States that if we all want to develop this investigation, we must get access to Hambali. We should process Hambali here because he is involved in many cases in Indonesia," he added.

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There has not been a lot of cooperation between Indonesia and the US. Without a track record to cooperation, the US is likely to avoid divulging humint, but it is exactly that kind of evidence that Indonesia needs to prosecute these guys and make a case to Indonesiaâs populace that these are bad actors.

Despite the problems with corruption, etc., that make the press and give Indonesia a black eye, Indonesia (in general) does have a bedrock commitment to a stable democratic, government. They just cannot afford to keep people detained who they cannot justify detaining. I think Indonesia is a better partner in fighting terrorism than the US may realize.

Posted by cingold 2003-12-17 11:28:08 AM|| 2003-12-17 11:28:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 There has not been a lot of cooperation between Indonesia and the US.

At least not during this administration.

Posted by Robert Crawford 2003-12-17 1:19:40 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com] 2003-12-17 1:19:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 At least not during this administration.

Oh, that campaign contribution thing . . . ? Please bear in mind that graft and bribes are common in Indonesia -- a kind of âpersonal tax.â I would wager that most Indonesians donât really view them as a crime -- more as an inconvenience. The Indonesians were playing to their own ethnocentricity. It is the Clinton administration that knew better.

Of course, Indonesia has many problems, but it still has tremendously better potential as a partner in the WOT than other places (e.g., Malaysia).

Posted by cingold 2003-12-17 2:53:01 PM|| 2003-12-17 2:53:01 PM|| Front Page Top

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