JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Other than tracing the terrorist network in Aceh, the police have also been asked to trace where the group received its funding. Intel observer Wawan H. Purwanto stated that the funding should be prioritized for tracing. This aspect, he believes, can reveal who mobilizes the group.
"The issue for concern is where they (terrorists) got their funding, because they can't move without it," stated Wawan to Kompas.com, Monday morning.
He mentioned that tracing the fund disbursement won't be easy. Whether the terrorists in Aceh are linked with those in Mindanao, the south of the Philippines, can be determined from the fund disbursement. A number of terrorism figures like Umar Patek and Dul Matin are suspected to be in Mindanao.
"The funding could come from small but regular transfers. Sometimes, the money could even be given hand to hand, which is even harder (to trace)."
Other than funding, there is also the question of where the Aceh terrorists got their supply of weapons. Wawan thought it possibly that the arms were smuggled from beyond Indonesia.
"It's very likely to be from the coastlines, but reportedly they've been blocked by the armada commander. Maybe they (terrorists) are using left-over weapons after the conflict." During a cross-fire, three members of the mobile brigade have been killed, and several others wounded. While from the terrorists' side, reportedly only one died. (Inggried Dwi Wedhaswary/C17-09)
