The Jakarta Post, August 04, 2006
Police, TNI send mixed messages on E. Java 'hunt'
ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Mojokerto, Surabaya
A military operation in the East Java hills was abruptly halted Thursday following
denials that it was a hunt for fugitive terrorist Noordin M. Top.
About 50 soldiers of the Raiders special force of the East Java's Brawijaya Military
Command were withdrawn from Gondang district in Mojokerto regency, said
Mojokerto Military District Commander Lt. Col. A. Somalinggi.
"The soldiers deployed to Gondang district have been withdrawn, but we still continue
monitoring the latest developments."
Contradicting the earlier statements of other officials, he said the decision was made
after a two-day search for the Malaysian-born Noordin -- who locals had reported
sighting -- found no evidence he was in the area.
However, he said a "suspicious" man had been captured and handed over to the
police, " ... showing that we are serious about the hunt".
The police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) had earlier discounted the target of the
operation was Noordin.
The chief of the Brawijaya Military Command, Maj. Gen. Syamsul Mappareppa,
termed it a routine military exercise.
"We were not searching for terrorists. Semar hill at the foot of Mount Welirang in
Mojokerto has been used as a combat training ground for a long time," he told
reporters in Surabaya.
But it contradicted Wednesday's statement from National Police spokesman Insp.
Gen. Paulus Purwoko. He said the search was conducted by both the police and
troops for an armed group, believed to be led by Noordin, that was reportedly hiding
out in the Semar and Kukusan hills and was stealing food from locals.
The head of the East Java Police's antiterror Detachment 88, Sr. Comr. Oerip
Subagyo, also denied reports of police involvement in a hunt for Noordin.
"I've said since yesterday we weren't hunting for Noordin. No antiterror officers from
both the East Java Police and the National Police Headquarters were deployed there.
Why don't you believe us instead of preferring to cause unrest among the people?"
Oerip denied the police were concealing their involvement because Noordin was not
captured.
"It's not that we don't want to admit there was an operation because of a failure to
capture Noordin. The fact is there wasn't any deployment of officers there. If we had
continued searching for Noordin, yes, we would have said it."
Attorney Fahmi H. Bachmid from the Muslim legal defense group was concerned the
police and military were not providing full disclosure of the operation.
"If it was only a combat drill, why were they in the middle of the community and
causing panic?" said Fahmi.
"Perhaps the police and the military were ashamed that they failed to capture Noordin
or his group, so they just said that the operation was only a combat exercise."
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