[Nasional-e] US allows Indonesia to question al-Qaeda suspect: senior minister
Ambon
sea@swipnet.se
Mon Sep 30 23:48:02 2002
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The Jakarta Post
Oct. 1, 2002
US allows Indonesia to question al-Qaeda suspect: senior minister=20
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs =
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Monday that Jakarta has obtained =
approval from the United States for a joint questioning of an alleged =
senior al-Qaeda operative arrested in Indonesia but now detained in =
Afghanistan.=20
"Politically, we would like to say that Indonesia's interest in the =
questioning of Omar al-Faruq is very crucial and the US government has =
agreed with this request," Yudhoyono told reporters as quoted by AFP.=20
Yudhoyono gave no details of the composition of the interrogation team =
or their itinerary. However, he asserted that questioning al-Faruq would =
"help us in making sure whether al-Faruq's statement (to US officials) =
was true, half-true or even modified."=20
Time magazine reported in its issue dated Sept. 23 that al-Faruq, 31, =
had admitted to being al-Qaeda's senior representative in the region.=20
The report, greeted with skepticism here, said al-Faruq had lived near =
Jakarta until government agents arrested him in June and deported him to =
a US-held air base in Afghanistan.=20
Time, citing a foreign intelligence report, said al-Faruq had admitted =
planning to kill Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri in May 1999 =
when she was running for the presidency.=20
It said al-Faruq had also admitted in a CIA report that he was the =
brains behind the Christmas 2000 bombings of churches in nine Indonesian =
cities which killed 18 people and injured more than 100. Besides, it =
said al-Faruq planned to bomb US embassies in Jakarta and elsewhere in =
the region.=20
Time said al-Faruq had also admitted links with Muslim cleric Abu Bakar =
Ba'asyir, leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant organisation, and =
with Agus Dwikarna, an Indonesian Muslim activist currently jailed in =
the Philippines for possession of explosives.=20
Singapore has also labeled Ba'asyir a leader of a terrorist =
organisation. He denies the claim.=20
Washington is concerned Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim =
nation, may be home to al-Qaeda sympathizers. Most Indonesians practice =
a moderate brand of Islam.
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" size=3D2>The Jakarta Post</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" size=3D2>Oct. 1, 2002</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=3DArial>US allows Indonesia to question =
al-Qaeda=20
suspect: senior minister</FONT></STRONG>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" size=3D2>JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating =
Minister for=20
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on =
Monday that=20
Jakarta has obtained approval from the United States for a joint =
questioning of=20
an alleged senior al-Qaeda operative arrested in Indonesia but now =
detained in=20
Afghanistan.=20
<P>"Politically, we would like to say that Indonesia's interest in the=20
questioning of Omar al-Faruq is very crucial and the US government has =
agreed=20
with this request," Yudhoyono told reporters as quoted by <I>AFP</I>.=20
<P>Yudhoyono gave no details of the composition of the interrogation =
team or=20
their itinerary. However, he asserted that questioning al-Faruq would =
"help us=20
in making sure whether al-Faruq's statement (to US officials) was true,=20
half-true or even modified."=20
<P><I>Time</I> magazine reported in its issue dated Sept. 23 that =
al-Faruq, 31,=20
had admitted to being al-Qaeda's senior representative in the region.=20
<P>The report, greeted with skepticism here, said al-Faruq had lived =
near=20
Jakarta until government agents arrested him in June and deported him to =
a=20
US-held air base in Afghanistan.=20
<P><I>Time</I>, citing a foreign intelligence report, said al-Faruq had =
admitted=20
planning to kill Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri in May 1999 =
when she=20
was running for the presidency.=20
<P>It said al-Faruq had also admitted in a CIA report that he was the =
brains=20
behind the Christmas 2000 bombings of churches in nine Indonesian cities =
which=20
killed 18 people and injured more than 100. Besides, it said al-Faruq =
planned to=20
bomb US embassies in Jakarta and elsewhere in the region.=20
<P><I>Time</I> said al-Faruq had also admitted links with Muslim cleric =
Abu=20
Bakar Ba'asyir, leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant =
organisation, and=20
with Agus Dwikarna, an Indonesian Muslim activist currently jailed in =
the=20
Philippines for possession of explosives.=20
<P>Singapore has also labeled Ba'asyir a leader of a terrorist =
organisation. He=20
denies the claim.=20
<P>Washington is concerned Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim =
nation,=20
may be home to al-Qaeda sympathizers. Most Indonesians practice a =
moderate brand=20
of Islam.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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