JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — After a calm period following the death of Noordin M. Top, the terrorism issue has reemerged. The raid and arrest on terrorists in Aceh Besar, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, and in Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten, have stunned many people.
The terrorists in Aceh were rumored to be supported by significant and sophisticated weaponry and logistics, and the Pamulang group was the supplier for arms and funds. Subsequent to the Pamulang raid, a major Afghan-trained terrorist, Dulmatin, has been declared dead.
The head of antiterror from the Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Law and Security, Ansyaad Mbai, stated that the terrorists in Aceh and Pamulang are involved in a bigger target in the Strait of Malacca. The following is an interview between Kompas and Ansyaad, Tuesday.
Which terrorist group is in operation now?
Don't be fooled by such groupings, especially since the Jemaah Islamiyah itself has split a long time ago. Anyone from Jemaah Islamiyah can recruit new members and form a new group. They are all dangerous and with equal skills in terror.
Why should it be Aceh?
Terrorist groups usually choose areas of conflict or post-conflict as their base of operations. It used to be in Poso, now it's Aceh. It's because (in such places) they can easily access arms supplies and recruit people. Furthermore, their mobility in Java is becoming increasingly limited.
Are there any other targets?
Yes, I estimate that there's an even bigger potential target. For instance, accessing and terrorizing crucial areas like the Strait of Malacca, which is a critical sea route for international trade. As we know, since the US assaulted Iraq, a lot of terrorists aim for and attack oil installations. From that point on, the world has been worried that the Strait of Malacca will become a new terrorist target.
No wonder advanced countries such as the US and Japan have stated their willingness to be involved in securing the Strait of Malacca. However, the idea has been rejected by three littoral countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Is the Strait of Malacca positively a new target?
I don't know if the caught terrorists deliberately chose Aceh. The way I see it, possibly even now they're not aware of the bigger scenario mentioned (targeting the Strait of Malacca).
But remember, any terrorist group here is linked with Al Qaeda's international terrorist network. Maybe their (terrorists in Aceh's) role was just to prepare the infrastructure and supporting facilities for that bigger plan.
The world has been worried that the Strait of Malacca will become a new target, because everyday ships pass by those waters, including very large vessels containing oil or other chemicals that can become weapons of mass destruction.
The possible assault scenario is, the terrorists might cooperate with pirates to hijack those tankers. Then the possibility branches into two attack patterns. One is to carry the tankers to be collided onto international harbors such as in Singapore. Or two, the tankers can be detonated and sunken at the narrowest point of the Strait of Malacca.
The Department of Defense previously has instructed the National Armed Force to increase the security at the Strait of Malacca, subsequent to the Singapore Navy intelligence report. What's your take on this?
Yes, there was a warning. To my opinion, the Minister for Defense's instruction wasn't based on the warning. Singapore has long been concerned because there have been piracy there. The concern is that the pirates are in league with terrorists. (DWA/C17-09)
