Umar Patek Indonesia’s Terrorists Leader Will Face Trial

Umar Patek’s name is so famous, for about ten years continues to be pursued by Densus-88 (Indonesian anti-terror police force). On Thursday (11/08/2011) Jakarta time, he has been extradited to Jakarta from Lahore Pakistan. He was the last suspect who was arrested in the suicide bombing case in Bali on October 12, 2002 in Kuta Bali done by the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah. The attack occurred exactly 1 year, 1 month and 1 day after the September 11 attacks to the WTC towers.

Suicide bombing caused 202 people dead and 209 injured mostly foreign tourists. From the data recorded victim died it is reported that  88 Australians, 38 Indonesians  (mostly tribal Bali), 26 British, 7 Americans, 5 Swedish, 4 Netherlands, 4 French,  3 Danish, 3 New Zealand, 3 Switzerland, 2 Brazilians, 2 Canadians, 2 Japanese,  2 South Africans, 2 South Koreans, 1 Ecuadorians, 1 Greece, 1 Italian, 1 Poland, 1 Portugal, and 1 Taiwanese.

Some of the main character-a Bali bomb terrorists have been arrested, convicted and shot during the ambush. As Abdul Aziz aka Imam Samudra, Mukhlas aka Ali Ghufron, Amrozy Bin Nurhasyim, aka Amrozy has been sentenced to death. In addition other figures, DR Azhari aka Allan  (Malaysian), was shot to death in the city of Malang on 9 November 2005, Dulmatin was shot to death on 9 March, 2010 (bounty is awarded $ 10 million by the U.S. government), Ali Imron, aka Alik sentenced to life imprisonment, Umar Patek (captured in Pakistan January 25, 2011).

Umar who is listed in the UN Consolidation list is valued about $ 1 million for his head at the time was arrested by Pakistani intelligence while he was at Abottabat city, where the Al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden was shot to death 95 days later by the elite Navy Seal Six-Team in the same city. Umar was arrested before being associated with Al Qaeda facilitator and was planning to travel with two French militants leading to the Waziristan. Their movement plan was not known yet because then he was caught.

During the investigation, Umar Patek admitted to some things. Rafted explosives Bali bomb-1 in 2002 with Sawad and Abdul Goni, the manufacture of circuit switching by Dr. Azhari and Dulmatin and admitted to participating in the 2000 Christmas bombing attacks in several churches in Indonesia. After bombing Bali - 1, he escaped to the Philippines and returned to Indonesia in 2009, joined the Dulmatin, Heri Kuncoro and Noer Hasan in Pamulang. Umar Patek hid Dulmatin DPO who later was shot dead.

Development of terrorism in Indonesia continues to come under pressure from security forces (police and BNPT). Now Indonesia has had a National Agency for Combating Terrorism under the President. Quality terror threats decreased, but the quantity actually increased, seen from the increasing number of terrorist suspects who were arrested. Smuggling of firearms from Philippines by sea was documented, from some cases.

Now the concern is the conditions in Afghanistan, where President Obama on June 22nd 2011 said he would begin withdrawing his troops gradually from Afghanistan. While some NYT journalists reports that Taliban is gaining power in Lagor and Wardak province which borders with Kabul. The U.S. seems to be more focused in the counter intelligence operation in Afghanistan which seems more successful killing the main figures of Al Qaeda.

The concern is that in 2014 (or maybe even before), when the Afghanistan’s security is handed over to the local government, Taliban will gain more power of the whole province. Afghanistan could become a second Vietnam (melting under the Taliban) or like Somalia, where the government only has power in the capital city Mogadisu while rebels are in control in the other. Worst case, international terrorism will clearly reappear, and Afghanistan could become the country who finances terror (State Directed Groups). It would also be a huge impact to Indonesia; there are approximately 300 Indonesian who had participated in terrorist training in Afghanistan in 1990. Umar Patek, Dulmatin, Ali Imron are alumnus from there.

The Indonesian Government are still focused, serious and strong to face the threat of terrorism, what we need to know is that Osama Bin Laden’s tausiah and international terrorism are doing dichotomy of the ideology of democracy with Islamic law, which they declared secularism as a reason. Because it is difficult fighting terrorism, the applicable law is "A terrorists in One Side Is a patriot on the other." But we must still fight it. By Prayitno Ramelan, Air Vice Marshal (Ret). ( www.ramalanintelijen.net )