[Kabar-indonesia] Singapore releases 5 linked to JI militant group

[Joyo at aol.com]

Associated Press 
June 30, 2006

Singapore releases 5 linked to JI militant group

SINGAPORE (AP): Singapore said it released five people detained for their 
involvement in the al-Qaida-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah as they no 
longer posed a "security threat."

The five had cooperated with authorities on investigations into the militant 
group and had responded well to "religious rehabilitation," the government 
said in a statement released Friday.

"They are assessed to no longer pose a security threat to Singapore," the 
Ministry of Home Affairs said. It did not say when the five were detained.

Jemaah Islamiyah is suspected of carrying out terrorist attacks in Southeast 
Asia, including deadly bombings in Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people, most 
of them foreigners.

Singapore identified the five released as Azman bin Jalani, Faiz Abdullah 
Ashiblie, Habibullah bin Hameed, Zulkifli bin Mohamed Jaffar and Faiz bin Abu 
Bakar Bafana.

The government also identified five Singaporean members of Jemaah Islamiyah 
still in custody who were detained between March and May this year as part of 
an operation against the group's local network.

The five include Mas Selamat bin Kastari, leader of the local network who 
fled Singapore in December 2001 following the arrestsof other Jemaah Islamiyah 
members. Indonesia deported him to Singapore in February this year.

He was involved in plans to attack targets such as the U.S. Embassy, the 
American Club and Singapore government buildings, and continued to plot even after 
leaving Singapore, authorities said.

"Specifically, he plotted to hijack an airplane in order to crash it into 
(Singapore's) Changi Airport," the home affairs ministry said in its tatement. 
"When his initial attempt to do so was thwarted, he continued to believe in the 
feasibility of the plan and intended to pursue it in the future when 
theopportunity presented itself."

Another of those detained is Mohamed Rashid bin Zainal Abidin, a JI operative 
who had military training in Mindanao in the Philippines, the ministry said. 
He had also left Singapore in 2001, and was involved in the plans to crash a 
plane intoSingapore's international airport.

Other detainees are Muhamad Ismail bin Anuwarul, Abdul Rashid bin Anwarul and 
Abdul Nassir bin Anwarul, the government said.Abdul Nassir and Muhamad Ismail 
had undergone military training in Mindanao and Afghanistan respectively, it 
said.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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