THE STRAITS TIMES, Tuesday, April 30, 2002
Jakarta groups took millions from Al-Qaeda
Militant Muslim bodies admit receiving cash from Osama's terror network, but insist
there were no strings attached
By Devi Asmarani
STRAITS TIMES INDONESIA BUREAU
JAKARTA - Several militant Muslim groups in Indonesia have admitted receiving
millions of dollars in funds from Al-Qaeda, but said that there were 'no strings
attached'.
At least five radical outfits interviewed by The Straits Times said that individuals within
their organisations had received money which was channelled to them by
'intermediaries' - local and foreign - with contacts to Osama bin Laden's terrorist outfit.
Millions of dollars are said to have been given to these groups over the last five years,
with some continuing to receive money even after the Sept 11 attacks on the United
States.
Sources said that some of these groups included the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI),
Majelis Mujahidin Council, the Islamic Youth Movement and Laskar Jihad.
One of the FPI leaders, Iqbal Siregar, told The Straits Times: 'At the organisational
level, we do not accept anything from Al-Qaeda.
'But on a personal level, I do know that several people have been offered money,
although they would not say openly that it is from Al-Qaeda. I don't think they would
be so stupid as to declare where the money came from.
'The money is given to help further the religious cause in our country - and not to join
the Al-Qaeda network.'
Most groups here insisted that they took the money because there were no
conditions imposed.
Habib Rizik Shihab, the head of the FPI, which is notorious for its violent attacks on
entertainment joints around the country, said: 'Its money is halal. It doesn't try to
interfere in our organisation's internal affairs - why shouldn't we accept its money?
Well-placed sources said that groups established more recently, such as the FPI,
Laskar Jundullah, Laskar Hizbullah and the Majelis Mujahiddin Indonesia (MMI), which
is pushing for the imposition of Islamic law in Indonesia, were among those in 'contact
with Osama's people'.
The MMI is headed by Muslim preacher Abu Bakar Bashir, allegedly one of the
leaders of the regional Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah network. He has denied such
links.
Another group, the Darul Islam, claims to have accepted over 1.2 billion rupiah
(S$230,000) from Al-Qaeda last year, to fund anti-Christian operations in Indonesia.
One of its leaders, Al Chaidar, said it was given the money as the group had sent
many of its members to fight against the Russians in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
But the Laskar Jihad, which has been sending its warriors to fight Christians in
Maluku, said it had rejected financial offers from Al-Qaeda since before Sept 11.
Said the group's spokesman Eko Raharjo: 'We rejected it because Osama's
understanding of Islam contradicts ours. We don't support his calls for uprising
against legitimate governments - our backgrounds are different.'
But sources said that the paramilitary group, whose leader Ja'far Umar Thalib fought
with the Afghan mujahidin in the late 1980s, had received over 200 million rupiah from
militant outfits in several countries, including Libya, Yemen, Saudia Arabia, Pakistan
and Afghanistan.
Moderate Muslims said these groups should not have accepted the money, even if it
was to support their cause, as it could get the country tangled in the terrorist
network's web.
'I am concerned that Indonesia will become the next target in the terrorist network
because of the acts of several groups who are just looking for money,' said an
executive from the country's largest Muslim group, the Nahdlatul Ulama.
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