Posted on 10/07/2006 9:56:22 AM PDT by knighthawk
Excerpt from report in English by Roel Pareno carried by Philippine newspaper The Philippine Star website on 7 October
The wife of a top Indonesian terrorist claimed that the Philippines is a "prime target" for attacks by the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group because the country was one of the first to support the US-led war against terror after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, military officials said yesterday.
The revelation by Istiada Oemar Sovie, alias Amenah Toha, the wife of suspected Jemaah Islamiyah Dulmatin, who uses only one name, came during her tactical interrogation. Sovie was captured by government troops in Patikul, Sulu last Tuesday.
Dulmatin and fellow Indonesian Umar Patek, both wanted for the October 2002 Bali bombings where 202 people died, are now hiding in Sulu under the protection of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, the military said.
Maj Eugene Batara, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), said Sovie had claimed, during her initial interrogation, that the Indonesians went to Sulu because the Philippines is a target for supporting the US anti-terror campaign following the 11 September attacks.
Batara said Sovie confirmed that Dulmatin and Patek, both alleged bomb experts of the JI, and Janjalani are still in the jungles of Patikul, Sulu.
The US government had offered a 10m US dollar reward for the capture of Dulmatin while a 1m US dollar reward was offered for Patek's arrest. [passage omitted]
Source: The Philippine Star website, Manila, in English 7 Oct 06
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