[Kabar-indonesia] Bali Tightens Security Ahead Of Bombing Anniversary [+Terror Rooted in Ideology]

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

also: JP: Terror in RI rooted in ideology: Expert 

Bali Police Tighten Security Ahead Of Bombing Anniversary

BALI, Indonesia, Oct. 11 (AP)--Police tightened security Wednesday at 
airports, seaports and beaches on Indonesia's resort island of Bali ahead of the 
fourth anniversary of al-Qaida-linked car bombings on two nightclubs that killed 
202 
people, mostly foreigners. 

Indonesia has been hit by a series of annual attacks since the 2002 bombing, 
blamed on the Southeast Asian terrorism group Jemaah Islamiyah. 

Tourists and family members were to gather on the beach Thursday to remember 
those killed in the attack and unfurl a 12 kilometer-long white cloth between 
the 
two bombing sites. 

The most recent Bali attack was a triple suicide bombing in September 2005, 
which killed 20 people at restaurants. 

Bali police planned to deploy their entire 11,500-member force, including 
elite 
anti-terrorism squad and plainclothes policemen, to secure this year's 
commemorations, said Col. Antonius Reniban. 

"We are tightening security at all entry points into Bali," said Reniban, a 
spokesman for the island's police force. "We would not hesitate to take 
harsh measures against any kind of threat." 

Indonesia, which has more Muslims than any other nation, has arrested or 
convicted more than 300 militants in recent years. 

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The Jakarta Post
Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Terror in RI rooted in ideology: Expert 

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's brand of terrorism is starkly different from that found in the 
Middle East and should be tackled using specifically targeted methods, a leading 
psychologist here says 

Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, chairman of the Asian Psychologists' Association 
(APA), said that while terrorism in the Middle East was rooted in nationalism, in 
Indonesia it has traditionally been based on ideology. 

"The thing is that almost all terrorism theories are based on the results of 
research in the Middle East so it is understandable that many strategies, 
tactics and anti-terror technology applied in Indonesia have not been too 
effective," he was quoted by AFP as saying late Monday. 

Sarlito, also a terrorism expert at the University of Indonesia, said the 
families of Indonesian terrorists were mostly ashamed of their acts, unlike in 
the Middle East where such acts are often a source of pride. 

The predominantly Muslim nation has suffered from a slew of bloody attacks in 
recent years, including the 2002 Bali bombings, which left 202 people dead. 

Sarlito said a recent study showed that common concerns and appraisals of 
jihad were two main factors that influenced young Muslims to join militant groups 
and launch terror attacks. 

The study was based on interviews with death-row Bali bombers Imam Samudra, 
Amrozi, Ali Gufron and Ali Imron, he added. 

"They share common concerns on goals, values, responsibilities and pride and 
they accept the meaning and consequences of their terror acts. 

"What is in their mind is that extreme ideology and rigid faith make them 
firm and prepared to use violence in the name of religion with the promise of 
pretty angels in heaven if they are killed," Sarlito said. 

Nasir Abas, a former regional commander of the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) regional 
terror network who has since joined efforts to fight terrorism, said 
Indonesian terrorists specifically targeted civilians, in contrast to their Middle 
Eastern counterparts. 

"They launch their actions against non-military members, unarmed people and 
not while in a condition of war," Nasir said, adding that JI leaders were among 
the most dangerous militants. 

Sarlito described these leaders as "psychopaths", able to manipulate people 
into becoming suicide bombers -- even when technology allows bombings to be 
carried out without them. 

"The suicide bombers are there as just a sensational (factor). The fact that 
there is a suicide bomber gives an attack a higher profile," the psychologist 
said. 

Nasir said he believes key JI leader Noordin M. Top, who remains on the run, 
continues to recruit members as new jihadists in Indonesia. 

The former militant, who was arrested in 2003 in Bekasi, West Java, said JI 
was established in 1993 to defend Islam against non-Muslim enemies. 

"We were recruited not to carry out suicide attacks but to wage jihad against 
countries and any non-Muslim groups who invaded Muslim countries. We were 
taught about certain extreme Islamic teachings to have us possess strong and 
rigid faith and trained to use violence to defend our religion," he told The 
Jakarta Post. 

Nasir, born in Singapore in 1969 and now living in Malaysia with his wife and 
four children, said he knew nothing about Asia's alleged JI operative Omar 
al-Farouq, who was handed over by Indonesian intelligence officers to the United 
States. He was reported killed in a recent attack in Iraq. 

"If you want to know him, ask his wife and his close relatives here. But, I 
know Amrozi, Imam Samudra, Igbal and others involved in the 2002 Bali blasts 
because they were my younger classmates when we were in Afghanistan (between 
1987 and 1993)," he said. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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