AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - May 9, 2004
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, May 9, 2004
TEXT:
This week we welcome guest author Captain Wayne Turnbull who contributed his study "A Tangled Web of Southeast Asian Islamic Terrorism: The Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Network". We have excerpted one section, "The Origins of Jemaah Islamiyah" in this week's Feature Article. News Highlights range from the assassination of Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov to the impact of the Sasser worm.
1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
The Origins of Jemaah Islamiyah
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
North Korea, in its usual fashion, has stepped up the war of words against hostile US policies ahead of scheduled May 12 working-level talks. New reports indicate North Korea is preparing to deploy a ballistic missile that could reach US bases as far as Guam or Hawaii. In a Financial Times interview, North Korea also said that it would never sell nuclear missiles to al Qaeda. It has agreed to high-level talks with South Korea to try to ease military tensions.
The World Bank's "Little Green Data Book 2004" reports declining water resources: "At current levels of population growth, countries like Egypt - in which the agricultural sector uses 80 percent of its freshwater resources - could cross the 1,000 cubic meters per person water scarcity threshold in just 2 years time". http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20196923~menuPK:34463~pagePK:64003015~piPK:64003012~theSitePK:4607,00.html
http://www.worldbank.org/sustainabledevelopment
Burundi Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD), largest former rebel group, withdrew from the power-sharing government amid accusations that President Ndayizeye has not met the terms of the peace accord. Following this, the government said it would address all FDD grievances within a week to fully honor its promises under the peace accord. Already, three FDD members have been appointed mayors for various neighborhoods in Bujumbura, the capital.
Chad's army has clashed with the pro-Sudanese-government "Janjaweed" militias. One Chadian commander and six civilians have been killed as well as 60 Sudanese Arab militia.
In Congo Brazzaville, train service between the capital and the Pool Department resumed after a 6-year suspension and extensive reconstruction.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, fighting between rebel Forces for the Democratic Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Congolese troops killed at least five people. Some 350 FDLR attacked and looted eastern border villages.
Eritrea and Ethiopia were criticized for failing to implement the UN-backed peace process, including freedom of movement for the peacekeeping mission and rejection of the border demarcation. The UN has now delivered an ultimatum that Eritrea must cooperate with its peacekeeping patrols or ask the UN to leave. In Ethiopia, soldiers allegedly supported highlanders in attacks against ethnic Anuaks. Reports of casualties range from 30 to 300.
The Ivory Coast government has demanded sanctions against the people who leaked a UN report into March demonstrations that found security forces involved in human rights abuses that contributed to 120 deaths.
Namibian President Nujoma has warned against racist white farmers who mistreat their workers, saying land could be seized in response to such behavior.
In Nigeria, the land rivalry between rival ethnic militias accelerated. Christian Tarok attacked Muslim Fulanis. Reports indicate more than 600 people have been buried, with fatalities estimated as high as a thousand, but investigations continue. Violence in the Delta between Itsekiri and Ijaw is also growing more violent.
Somalia's peace talks are at a critical state, as regional foreign ministers meet to discuss how to move the stalled process forward. The International Crisis Group suggests a new approach in "Biting the Somali Bullet": "The peace process has fundamental flaws, including lack of political commitment, deep and persistent rivalries among regional states, and violations of the arms embargo, which must be corrected for talks to succeed". http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=2698
South Africa's ruling ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party have formed a power-sharing government in KwaZulu-Natal province, with three IFP ministers and a provincial parliament post. The IFP has dropped its protest against election results.
More details have emerged regarding massive abuses by the Sudanese government and Arab militia in western Darfur region that is the scene of massive displacement, critical humanitarian needs, and extreme violence and fear to the extent of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Despite the evidence of this "reign of terror", UN Security Council members say that no intervention is planned.
UN Assessments
http://www.unhchr.ch/pdf/chr60/ECN420053.doc
http://www.unsudanig.org/Emergencies/Darfur/Data/Assessments/Kailek-assessment.doc
Human Rights Watch report, "Darfur Destroyed: Ethnic Cleansing by Government and Militia Forces in Western Sudan" http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/07/darfur8549.htm
Barbados was wrongly portrayed as suffering from increasing violent crime and poor policing when the US State Department posted inaccurate information on its web site for four months. An apology was issued, but Barbados fears the economic damage against the dominant tourism industry may have already occurred.
Brazil faced more clashes among rival drug lords in Rio and between diamond miners and local Indians in the Amazon. Thousands of troops have been deployed to these two hot spots.
Colombia's peace talks with the right-wing paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) are at a critical point and close to collapse largely because of the requirement that the AUC disarm, sever its links with the drugs trade, and meet US extradition requests of AUC leaders connected with drugs trafficking.
Cuban President Castro condemned states that supported the recent UN sanction of its human rights record, including its Mexican and Peruvian allies. Both countries withdrew their ambassadors to protest Castro's remarks.
Haiti's rising crime rate is interfering with distribution of humanitarian aid.
Panama elected Martin Torrijos the new president by a wide margin. Torrijos is the son of the former military dictator who ruled from 1968-1971.
In Peru, 3,000 coca growers marched into the capital Lima to peacefully protest government plans to eradicate their crops. Meanwhile, security forces launched a campaign against Shining Path remnants after their leader "Comrade Artemio" claimed plans to launch new attacks. A reward of $50,000 is promised for information leading to his arrest; lesser amounts for his main associates.
US policy in the Middle East received several blows during the week. Amid continued violence in Iraq, President Bush received rebukes for his unconditional support of Israel from US ally King Hussein of Jordan as well as 50 retired US diplomats and other interested parties. In response, Bush has agreed to make it clear that final negotiations will be in the hands of the Palestinians. In addition, he ended a lengthy boycott of Palestinian leaders by offering talks between US national security advisor Rice and Palestinian Prime Minister Qureia. Bush also said the 2005 timetable for a Palestinian date is no longer realistic. The controversy over abuse of prisoners in Iraqi jails increased significantly, not least because it has undermined what little confidence remained among Iraqis regarding US intentions towards them. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld testified before Congress regarding Iraqi prisoner abuse. He took responsibility for the abuse, apologized to Iraqi prisoners who were abused by US military guards, warned of more photos and videos, and fended off calls for his removal.
The US Department of Justice Inspector General published a special report on "A Review of the Bureau of Prisons' Selection of Muslim Religious Services Providers" finding that groups promoting Islamic extremism have gained a foothold in prisons and that prisons could become a fertile recruiting ground. http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/0404/index.htm
In Oklahoma City, a new secure federal building was dedicated nine years after a bomb destroyed the Murrah building. http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2004/50304agokc.htm
The National Security archive has published "Intelligence and Vietnam: The Top Secret 1969 State Department Study" http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB121/index.htm
Bougainville's Interim Provincial Government has started preparations for elections towards the end of the year. Ten years of secessionist fighting achieved autonomy and with half of its weapons destroyed, disarmament has progressed well. Former separatist leader Francie Ona controls one area, Me-ekamui (Holy Land) but progress is limited since he Ona has avoided talks with Bougainville. The UN mandate ends on June 30, but will likely be extended until elections are held and the autonomous government assumes control. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8086.doc.htm
In an effort to improve international relations, Burmese warlord Chairman Bao Youxiang of the rebel United Wa State Army has said that this year's opium crop will be the last in Shan state. See Jan McGirk's article at http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=518587
China lost a bid to acquire arms from the EU when they refused to lift an arms sales ban imposed for human rights abuses and a crackdown against democratic progress in Hong Kong.
East Timor's peacekeeping forces will stay in place for another year. Meanwhile, the dispute between East Timor and Australia over gas and oil revenues dependent on border delineation remain unresolved.
Indonesian police chief Brigadier General Bambang Sutrisno in the Moluccas islands has been replaced following violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in which the police were criticized for failing to anticipate the violence and being slow to respond, thereby letting the situation get out of control. A new attack this week occurred when gunmen in a speedboat shot dead two villagers. In Pekanbaru, Tiau, a bomb at a grocery store killed two and injured four. It used the same type of explosives as in the Marriott and Bali attacks and is under investigation.
Kyrgyzstan's head of the anti-corruption division, Colonel Chynybek Aliyev, was shot to death when a vehicle drove up beside his and fired 20 bullets. A major police investigation is underway. Organized crime in the area frequently involved drugs traffickers.
New Zealand's indigenous Maoris marched in their thousands to protest nationalization of seaside lands they believe part of their indigenous rights under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi that guaranteed Maori rights to their land and culture.
Philippines security forces reportedly uncovered a new Jemaah Islamiah cell and have arrested at least one member while the investigation continues under a state of high alert.
Thailand has increased further security forces in the south following last weeks' fighting that killed more than a hundred. Investigations into the storming of a mosque that killed at least 30 suspected militants are underway. Prime Minister Shinawatra visited the area and appealed for unity. He now suspects that Muslim militants, not drugs gangs, led the fighting.
Georgian President Saakashvili has disbanded parliament and imposed direct presidential rule over Ajaria after the province's rebel leader Aslan Abashidze fled to Russia. A provisional council will administer Ajaria until elections in June.
Greece was the scene of three bombings outside a suburban Athens police station. No one claimed responsibility but it is believed the work of domestic left-wing extremists. Authorities have emphasized that the Olympics will be safe and secure and that this attack, that injured a policeman and damaged the station, was not connected to the games.
Italian police carried out a series of raids investigating Ansar al-Islam and a purported suicide bombing campaign. They have arrested five people and the investigations continue.
In Kosovo, the deadly ethnic violence in March set back the peace process and requires concrete actions to rebuild trust, according to the latest UN report. http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2004/348
Amnesty International looks at the presence of peacekeepers as fueling the trafficking of women and children. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR700122004
(TC reported on this common linkage in https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2003/112303.html#FeatureArticle)
The former Macedonian interior minister, Ljube Boskovski, who is accused of ordering the staged killing of seven foreign nationals to demonstrate its cooperation with the US war on terrorism has fled to Croatia where he also holds citizenship. Croatia says he cannot be arrested or indicted and Boskovski denies any involvement. The families of those who were killed are planning to sue for damages.
Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov and at least 30 others have been killed in a bombing in Grozny. Chechen rebels are suspected and the region is on high alert.
Turkish police uncovered a plot to attack the NATO summit in Istanbul next month. They have arrested 16 people, suspected members of Ansar al-Islam, and seized a range of weapons and equipment, including several CDs that contained training advice from Osama bin Laden.
In the UK, Buckingham Palace appointed a new royal security director in response to a government report on security flaws that had originally been exposed by a journalist. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/security/
The Quartet of the UN, EU, US and Russia met to affirm support for its roadmap and issued a positive reaction to Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's plan for withdrawing from Gaza and offered specific suggestions to help move forward.
In Gaza, an Israeli missile strike killed two members of Hamas. During a raid a security guard was killed when Israeli troops fired on stone-throwing Palestinian protesters, and several houses and farms were razed.
This week in Iraq, gunfights and explosions provided a fatal backdrop to the standoff between US forces and Islamic cleric Moqtada al Sadr, that was interrupted by sporadic attacks and overshadowed by the scandal over abuse and torture of prisoners in US custody. For a summary of the Red Cross report see http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1212154,00.html
Israeli Prime Minister Sharon is undaunted by the overwhelming rejection by his Likud party of his plans to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. The state comptroller's report finds that the Israeli government provided $6.5 million over the past 3.5 years to build unauthorized Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli Defense Forces continue to exchange fire across the withdrawal line. Lebanon has complained to the UN about Israeli over-flights and air strikes in Lebanese territory.
In Saudi Arabia, religious militants burst into a petrochemical contractor's office killing six foreigners and injuring at least 25 others.
In the West Bank, a 9-year old Palestinian was killed and two children wounded when they accidentally detonated a crude pipe bomb. Israeli Defense Forces fired into a refugee camp and killed two armed militants and wounded at least 20 people. In other operations, they shot dead an 18-year old Palestinian standing on a rooftop then killed two armed Islamic Jihad militants and arrested a third.
Afghanistan continues its difficult progress towards elections but they are in jeopardy because many powerful militiamen are not adequately participating in the disarmament program. Three election workers were killed by unknown means but the effort to register voters continues. Taliban ambushes killed at least ten security forces.
Bangladesh's senior opposition parliamentarian Ahsan Ullah Master of the opposition Awami League was attacked and shot dead. Other Awami members were injured. The assassination came a day before a meeting between the government and donors regarding the deterioration in law and order.
In India's Tripura state, 72 separatist rebels of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) surrendered to authorities. Another NLFT faction declared a ceasefire and has been in discussions with the federal government but has not yet surrendered. A third faction of more militant members remains.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, the death of Abdul Rashid ("Gazi Shahabuddin") of the Hizbul Mujahideen has led to a dispute as police claim he was killed in a firefight but his colleagues claim he was killed in custody.
Nepal's Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa announced his resignation, hoping it would lead to national consensus. Instead, the opposition says it will continue daily protests until the king appoints a government of national unity in a return to democracy. Nepal has lifted a ban on public assemblies.
In Pakistan's southwest port of Gwandar, a car bomb killed three Chinese engineers working on the port and injured eleven others. The attack has been blamed on Islamic extremists and is under investigation, with 16 arrests so far. In the southern port Karachi a suspected suicide bomber killed 15 and injured more than 125. The bombing took place in a mosque and has been blamed on Shia/Sunni conflict although responsibility is as yet unknown. Rioting followed the attack, leading to another death and at least two injuries.
Sri Lanka's peace talks are still a long way off according to Norwegian mediators who find the government and Tamil Tiger rebels quite far apart.
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
The Sasser worm struck last week, infecting millions of Windows computers worldwide. Sampo Bank in Finland closed 130 branches, the British coastguard had to rely on pen and paper as did a third of the post offices in Taiwan. British Airways, Goldman Sachs, Westpac Bank, Deutsche Post, the EC, Spanish national courthouses, trains in Australia, hospitals in Hong Kong and many others were also affected. Unlike many recent viruses, Sasser did not require opening email or attachments to execute, instead exploiting a buffer-overflow vulnerability in Window's Local Security Authority Subsystem Service. Although not destructive of files, it forced repeated crashes and could be difficult to remove. It is another reminder of the need to continuously patch Windows PCs to stave off the vulnerabilities that virus-writers exploit and also to ensure that multiple levels of security are in place.
An interesting side effect of Sasser was a strong rise in the stock prices of anti-virus firms. Note analysis in Information Week: "Investments In Antivirus Software Are Paying Off" http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=19205575 and "Worms Are Big Business For Antivirus Vendors" http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=19400062
Also unusual is the speed with which the perpetrator was identified. An 18-year-old German high school student has been arrested.
Britain's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit arrested twelve people from Eastern Europe for laundering funds through phishing scams. It is believed connected to organized crime syndicates in Russia.
The US state of California has decertified all tough-screen voting machines due to security and other issues and has required paper is provided for back-up in the case of recounts and as an alternative to people who do not want to use new equipment. http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/
The UN Security Council Committee responsible for sanctions against the Taliban and al Qaeda reports that many countries lack adequate resources to fulfill the reporting requirements of international sanctions. http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/204/349
A message from Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden offers rewards of gold for killing US and UN officials in Iraq. The death of Paul Bremer, Lakhdar Brahimi, or Kofi Annan would bring the perpetrator ten kilos of gold (worth about $125,000) with smaller rewards for lesser figures. The statement said that because of security the rewards would be given as soon as conditions permit.
The British government has announced that a loophole that allows political parties in Northern Ireland to raise funds abroad will be ended by February 2005.
World Press Freedom Day was observed on May 3. http://www.unesco.org/webworld/wpfd/2004
The UN Committee Against Torture is holding its annual meeting. They will consider reports of Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Monaco, New Zealand and other issues that may arise. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/hr4736.doc.htm
The UN's human rights office has begun collecting information for a report on civil liberties in Iraq that will be completed by the end of May. http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/0563F6F7E552BA1BC1256E8C00491571?opendocument
Australia's National Inquiry into Children in Immigration detention will release its report next week. Early indications suggest it will find breaches of various national and international policies and covenants on the rights of children, with commensurate negative impacts on their health and well being. http://www.humanrights.gov.au/human_rights/children_detention/index.html
Hicham Ahmidan was arrested by Moroccan security officials. Initially charged with drugs offenses, he was later identified as one of the five men named in international arrest warrants issued in connection with the Madrid train bombings.
Ehab Elmaghraby and Javaid Iqdal, detained in a US federal jail after the September 11 attacks, have filed suit against specific guards for their alleged brutal treatment.
Izhar Ul Haque, the first person charged under Australia's new anti-terrorism laws, was refused bail.
Brandon Mayfield, an attorney in the US state of Oregon, has been arrested by federal authorities in connection with the Madrid train bombings after his fingerprints were reportedly found on a bag that had carried explosives. Mayfield had done child custody work for an Oregon Muslim who had been convicted last year for supporting al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Federal authorities have provided no information; the story was reported in Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5067297
Zacarias Moussaoui's defense attorneys have appealed for the full appeals court to review a ruling by its 3-judge panel that he could be eligible for the death penalty without being able to interview key al Qaeda witnesses.
Yussuf Munyakazi, a former Interahamwe militia leader suspected of a leading role in the Rwandan genocide, has been arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo and transferred to an International Tribunal for Rwanda detention center.
Ricardo Palmera ("Simon Trinidad") was sentenced to 35 years in prison in Colombian court for his role in the rebel ArmedForces of Colombia (FARC).
Jack Roche is on trial in Australia on charges of conspiring to blow up two Israeli diplomatic missions.
Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, former aide to Osama bin Laden, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for stabbing a prison guard in the eye with a sharpened comb, leaving the guard with one eye, brain-damaged, partially paralyzed.
Mohammed Taha, a Hamas co-founder, was freed from Israeli prison after 14 months detention without trial.
Iran closed its new international airport after only one flight following the discovery that the TAV Turkish-Austrian consortium was managing it despite a ban on foreign groups at the airport and fears it would threaten security.
Australia has agreed to put up to six air marshals on board flights to and from the US. Previously the policy covered only flights between Australia and Singapore.
The US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Inspector General found that tapes recorded of air controllers who communicated with or tracked the September 11 hijacked jets had been destroyed without review. http://www.oig.dot.gov/show_txt.php?id=1308
Scotland Yard and the BAA are recruiting plane spotters to help recognize people or activities that might be suspicious. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3682329.stm
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Ukrainian security forces seized two containers (some 375 pounds) of cesium-137 and arrested three people. Cesium-137 is considered a likely component in a dirty bomb that combines the radioactive material with conventional explosives. Also in the Ukraine, the Zaporiz'ka nuclear plant has been put on alert after a fire in a military weapons depot caused a massive explosion.
China has agreed to help build a new nuclear plant in northern Pakistan. Bulgaria plans to resume construction of its unfinished nuclear power plant on the Danube River. Pakistan's cabinet has approved a draft bill following a UN resolution last week that would tighten rules on exporting nuclear technology to ensure it does not fall into the hands of terrorists.
The increasing rate of malaria has raised serious concerns over tactics and ways to alter the trend. There are more deaths now than in 1998, when the Roll Back Malaria campaign was launched. Every day 3,000 children and pregnant women die of the disease. As one person put it, that means that Africa faces a 9/11 every day. The British Medical Journal discussed malaria in the May 8 issue. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7448/1086
Roll Back Malaria is at http://www.rbm.who.int/
John W. Dean, "Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush" Little Brown
Alan Huffman, "Mississippi in Africa" Gotham Books
Jack Kelly, "Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics" Basic Books
Jacob Levenson, "The Secret Epidemic: The Story of AIDS and Black America" Pantheon
James Lilley, "China Hands", Public Affairs
Robert O. Paxton, "The Anatomy of Fascism" Alfred A Knopf
Frederick Taylor, "Dresden" Harper Collins
Joseph Wilson, "The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to Wat and Betrayed My Wife's C.I.A. Identity: A Diplomat's Memoir". Carroll and Graf
FEATURE ARTICLE: The Origins of Jemaah Islamiyah
This week we are pleased to welcome guest author Captain Wayne Turnbull. As part of a graduate study program in Southeast Asian terrorism at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California, he wrote "A Tangled Web of Southeast Asian Islamic Terrorism: The Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Network". It was completed on July 31, 2003 with some updated information added for the sake of clarity. This week Captain Turnbull's description of the Origins of JI is reproduced below. The complete document includes comprehensive information on the historical background, organization and activities, financing, recruitment and training, a number of case studies and other details. Please note that any conclusions or recommendations are personal opinions of the author and in no way reflect the official views of the United States Government or of TerrorismCentral.
JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH: ORIGINS
The origins of Jemaah Islamiyah can be traced to a pesantren founded in Solo, Indonesia by two radical Muslim clerics, Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Bashir, in 1973. [Andrew Tan, "Terrorism in the Asia-Pacific: Threat and Response", Singapore, 17 & 18 October 2002, 12.] The two radicals were deeply affected by the Darul Islam movement and have thus attempted to carry on in its tradition. Both men were born in Indonesia to families of Yemeni heritage. Sungkar was born in 1937 in Solo, Central Java, and Bashir in 1938 in Jombang, East Java. [Ibid. 6.] During the early 1960s, they became involved in proselytizing activities in support of an Islamic state. They met in 1963 in Solo after Bashir finished two years of training at a pesantren at Pondok Gontor. [Ibid.] In 1971, they founded their own pesantren, al-Mukmin, which was moved to the village of Ngruki, outside Solo, in 1973 and thence renamed Pondok Ngruki. [Ibid.]
With the foundation of Pondok Ngruki, Bashir and Sungkar had a base from which they could work toward the creation of Darul Islam. It was here that the pair began preaching about the need for an organization to bring about an Islamic state in the region. Sungkar referred to this organization as Jemaah Islamiyah, or Islamic Community, though such an organization would not be founded for some years to come. The Suharto government arrested Sungkar and Bashir in 1978 and sentenced them to nine years in prison for subversive activities in 1982. [International Crisis Group "Al-Qaida in Southeast Asia."] Their sentence was commuted to time served later in 1982, and the pair was released.[Ibid.] After their release, the two men fled to Malaysia where they gradually built a large following among the Indonesian expatriate community in the Johor area. Through a religious school called Pondok Pesantren Luqmanul Hakiem, Sungkar was able to continue his particular brand of Islamic extremism (Salafi ideology mixed with the theories of Islamist radicals such as Sayyid Qutb and Hasan al-Banna), stressing the need for secrecy in the struggle to bring about an Islamic state. * He did this out of a valid belief that any open resistance was bound to be crushed by the authorities. During their time in Johor, Sungkar and Bashir gradually began to change their views on the nature of Darul Islam. While at Pondok Ngruki, they advocated an Islamic state within the confines of Indonesia. After establishing themselves in Malaysia, their view changed to promoting a trans-national state comprised of all the Muslim communities in Southeast Asia.
It was in Johor, around 1993, that Sungkar and Bashir first formed the JI organization. From its beginning, JI was an underground movement that advocated the use of violence to achieve its goals. The Asian economic crisis of 1997 brought about political turmoil in Indonesia and resulted in the eventual ouster of the Soeharto regime in 1998. Abdullah Sungkar died in November 1999, of natural causes, while still in Malaysia. Bashir assumed the leading role within the JI and shortly thereafter moved back to Indonesia. At this point, divisions within JI began to appear because many of the younger, more radical members of JI were unhappy with Bashir?s leadership. These included Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali, arrested 11 August 2003 for his part in terrorist activities throughout the region; Abdul Aziz alias Imam Samudra, sentence to death for his role in the Bali bombings; and Ali Gufron alias Mukhlas, also sentenced to death for involvement in the Bali attacks. They felt Bashir was too weak and easily swayed by others. [Ibid.]
The divisions within the organization widened when Bashir announced the formation of Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI, Indonesian Mujahidin Council) in August 2000. Post-Suharto Indonesia heralded a new openness for Islamic organizations within the country. Bashir felt that the time was right to take advantage of the new political climate and move into the mainstream with a more open political organization. The MMI is intended to be a grass roots organization to pull together various Islamic groups within Indonesia. It is an ad-hoc coalition with membership as high as 50,000. ["Islamic Militant Groups in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore Listed", FBIS SEB20020126000004. 26 January 2002.] As such, it does not display the radicalism of the secretive Jemaah Islamiyah, though many of its affiliated members are also members of terrorist groups. All of the major players within the Southeast Asian terrorist network have been affiliated in some manner with the council. Such an organization operating within the existing Indonesian political framework provides easy cover for radicals to meet and exchange ideas. Al-Qaida has also found fertile ground within the MMI. Many of its key leaders, including Bashir, have been linked to the organization. The MMI provides an excellent vehicle through which Al-Qaida can reach out to many different radical elements within Southeast Asia. Since the 12 October 2002 bombings in Bali and the subsequent arrest of Abu Bakar Bashir, the MMI has been trying to distance itself from its extreme members.
* ICG, "Indonesia Backgrounder: How the Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Network Operates", International Crisis Group: Asia Report No 43, 11 December 2002. 3. - Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian-born Islamist theorist who greatly influenced political Islamic thought throughout the Muslim world. His primary treatise, Social Justice in Islam, published in 1953 in Cairo addresses the need for the umma to reject any division of society from religion. He stresses the need of the umma to seek guidance only in the Quran and Hadith. Qutb was extremely anti-Western and anti-Communist, having spent time in the United States after the Second World War. His rejection of the United States, and the West in general as it related to the separation of Church and State, was outlined clearly in Social Justice in Islam. He also became involved early on in the Ikhwan al-Muslimin (Muslim Brotherhood) established by Hasan al-Banna. Both Sayyid Qutb and Hasan al-Banna can be said to have launched the modern political Islamist movement and their ideology has become the driving force behind the majority of radical Islamists such as Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakar Bashir. Qutb was jailed repeatedly by the Egyptian government for his political views and writings, and was finally arrested and executed on 29 August 1966 in Cairo.
To read the complete report go to:
Wayne Turnbull, ""A Tangled Web of Southeast Asian Islamic Terrorism: The Jemaah Islamiyahh Terrorist Network" https://terrorismcentral.com/Library/terroristgroups/JemaahIslamiyah/JITerror/JIContents.html
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