The Age, October 5, 2005 - 6:39AM
New terror fears grip Asia
New terror fears have gripped Asia, sparking security scares at embassies and travel
alerts as Indonesia shrugged off calls to outlaw the militant group suspected in deadly
suicide bombings in Bali.
Investigators have been slowly piecing together evidence - pellets, batteries, cables
and detonators - from the scenes of the weekend blasts at popular dining spots, and
renewed calls for anyone who recognised grisly photographs of three suicide bombers
to step forward.
Two men were being held for questioning, but they had not been named as suspects,
Bali police chief Major General I Made Mangku Pastika said yesterday, adding that 39
witnesses also were being debriefed.
South-East Asian nations have gone on high alert to prevent a repeat of the Saturday
night attacks on three crowded restaurants that killed 22 people, putting hundreds of
thousands of troops on standby, tightening security on beaches and at resorts, and
stepping up border security.
Adding to tensions, a Muslim cleric jailed for conspiracy in the 2002 bombings that
killed 202 mostly foreign tourists in Bali said yesterday the latest attacks were a
warning from God.
Suspicious packages threatening retaliation for injustices against Muslims were sent
to six Asian and European embassies in Malaysia - including Canada, Germany, and
Thailand - forcing evacuations and the closure of the Japanese mission.
The parcels were later dismissed as a hoax, as was a tip-off that the US Embassy
had also been targeted, said Abdul Aziz Bulat, Kuala Lumpur's police head of criminal
investigations.
No one has claimed responsibility for the co-ordinated attacks that devastated two
seafood cafes in Bali's Jimbaran beach resort and a three-storey noodle and
steakhouse in downtown Kuta, the island's bustling tourist centre.
In addition to the fatalities, more than 100 people were wounded.
But suspicion immediately fell on the al-Qaeda-linked regional terror group Jemaah
Islamiah - which allegedly orchestrated the 2002 Bali bombings.
Australia, which lost 88 citizens in the earlier attacks and up to four in the latest,
warned yesterday of further possible strikes on the island, pinpointing another popular
entertainment district.
It also said it would repeat a request to Jakarta that it ban Jemaah Islamiah.
Once again, Indonesian said no. Doing so could make it easier to prosecute
members, could also trigger opposition from Muslim groups and political parties.
"It is an underground movement. We can only ban an established organisation," said
presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng, adding however that the government would
continue to fight terrorism "under whatever name."
From his prison cell, Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir - the group's alleged spiritual
leader - condemned the attack but also said in a statement that last weekend's blasts
were a sign of God's displeasure with the Indonesian government.
"I suggest the government bring themselves closer to God by implementing his rules
and laws because these happenings are warnings from God for all of us," said Bashir,
who has campaigned for the implementation of Islamic Shariah law in Indonesia.
Indonesian officials earlier said Saturday's bombings were planned by Malaysian
fugitives Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top - key suspected Jemaah
Islamiah figures.
The organisation, terror experts say, has been hard hit by a series of arrests in recent
years, but may have formed alliances with other organisations or individuals.
But yesterday, Pastika said it was too early to directly blame Azahari and Noordin -
or Jemaah Islamiah.
He said the investigators' first priority was identifying the three bombers, who wore
explosives - packed with ball bearings and other shrapnel - around their waists or in
bags over their shoulders. The blasts destroyed their torsos, but left their heads
intact, and photographs have been circulated nationwide.
Once the suspects were identified, "we can trace which group they're from," he told
reporters.
- AP
Copyright © 2004. The Age Company Ltd.
|
