Asian Terrorists Are 'Bloodied But Not Beaten'

Independent (UK) ^ | 10-13-2003 | Kathy Marks

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Asian terrorists are 'bloodied but not beaten'

By Kathy Marks in Sydney
13 October 2003

As survivors and victims' relatives marked the first anniversary of the Bali bombing yesterday, security experts warned that Islamic terrorists continue to pose a threat in south-east Asia.

Last October's blast was the work of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a regional group with close links to the al-Qa'ida network.

While 200 JI members, including a former operations chief, Hambali, have been arrested, experts say that the organisation remains intact and capable of mounting another attack.

Bali's chief of police, General I Made Mangku Pastika, said recently that two large bombs assembled by JI operatives had not been traced. "This is very worrying," he said. "Frankly, we don't know where they are. They could be anywhere." Hambali, who was arrested in Thailand with two aides, has reportedly told his US inquisitors that they spent months casing potential targets in Bangkok.

Before the atrocity in Bali, south-east Asia was not regarded as a target for global terrorism and few people outside the region had heard of JI.

The attack on the Sari Club, followed by the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in August, was a brutal wake-up call. Substantial progress has since been made in tackling terrorism. Mr Pastika's team cracked the Bali plot with astonishing speed, arresting more than 30 suspects including most of the principal players. Three have already been condemned to death. But according to terrorism experts, JI is bloodied but not beaten.

Intelligence agencies estimate that there are more than 3,000 active JI members in Indonesia alone, with substantial caches of weapons and explosives. Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta office of the International Crisis Group, noted that numerous senior figures were still at large and the organisation continues to attract cash and recruits.

Greg Barton, a senior lecturer in politics at Australia's Deakin University, said that JI's network was "more extensive and sophisticated than previously thought".

The Australian Defence Minister, Robert Hill, said last week that the group might switch its focus to the Philippines, with its glut of Western-style clubs, discos and hotels.

But most people expect Indonesia, where JI is yet to be outlawed, to remain the main arena. Dr Barton said: "The danger is that, just as a very important breakthrough has occurred, progress will slow down. We're at a critical point, and the situation is very worrying."