[Nasional-e] Muslim lawyers lash out at defense minister

[Ambon]

The Jakarta Post
Oct. 16, 2002

Muslim lawyers lash out at defense minister

JAKARTA (JP): A team of Muslim lawyers has criticized Indonesian Minister of
Defense Matori Abdul Djalil for his allegation that al-Qaeda and local
terrorists were responsible for the Saturday night bombings in Bali.
"That was a reckless statement. Given the present circumstances, unfounded
allegations could provoke even bigger problems. For example, the statement
might attract the attention of al-Qaeda, which was not involved. What is
more, we would like to know who the local terrorists are," team coordinator,
Mahendradatta, said here on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.
Matori told journalists at his office here on Monday that the method of the
Bali bombings showed the involvement of al-Qaeda, in cooperation with local
terrorists who supplied the necessary logistics.
Mahendradatta said he believed that Matori made the statement in his role as
a private citizen, rather than as an official government stance on the
matter.
He said the government had earlier convened a Cabinet meeting, the
conclusions of which were made public by Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"Perhaps, during the meeting, the defense minister might have come up with a
view that was unacceptable to the meeting because it contradicted the
results of investigations by authorized agencies, such as the police,
military intelligence and the National Intelligence Body," the lawyer said.
Mahendradatta then accused Matori of failing to act according to his role as
a minister, adding that Matori apparently still was clings to the old
legislative perception that allowed differing views to be announced to the
public.