The Jakarta Post, 7/10/2002 12:22:47 PM
Bin Laden wanted to move al-Qaeda's base to Aceh: Report
JAKARTA (Agencies): Osama bin Laden wanted to move the base of his al-Qaeda
terrorist network to Indonesia's province of Aceh from Afghanistan in 2000, Cable
News Network said, citing unidentified counterterrorism officials in the Philippines.
The news network said al-Qaeda were working with members of the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM), which had been fighting for an independent Islamic state in Aceh.
Ayamane al-Zawahri, bin Laden's senior aide, visited Aceh with al-Qaeda's former
military chief Mohammed Atef in June 2000, it said.
"Both of them were impressed by the lack of security, the support and extent of the
Muslim population," CNN said,citing a report by the intelligence officials.
"This visit was part of a wide strategy of shifting the base of Osama bin Laden's
terrorist operations from the subcontinent to Southeast Asia."
Al-Qaeda, which is blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., had its bases in
Afghanistan destroyed when the U.S. began its war against terrorism last October.
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the insurgency in Aceh.
The Indonesian government is considering imposing emergency rule in the province,
which has oil and gas reserves and is situated at the entrance to the Straits of
Malacca, one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
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