Threats of Terror Attacks Run on Indonesian TV
By PETER GELLING
International Herald Tribune
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Nov. 17 - A masked man who officials here say
is a leading militant threatened Western nations with more
terrorist attacks in a video broadcast Thursday on Indonesian
television.
"America, Australia, England and Italy are all our enemies," he
said in the video. "Know that as long as you all continue to
colonize the land of Iraq and Afghanistan and intimidate Muslims,
then you too will feel our intimidation and terror."
Indonesian officials said they believed the man in the video was
Noordin Top, one of Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorists. He is
linked to the bombings in Bali in 2002, in Jakarta at a hotel in
2003 and at the Australian Embassy in 2004, and in Bali again last
month.
Antiterrorism police officers in Indonesia found the video last
week during raids on several terrorist hide-outs.
The video also included final statements from the three suicide
bombers who killed 19 people last month in the attack in
Bali.
One of the men said he would be in heaven when the video was
broadcast. Another sent a message of hope to his family and to his
wife. The last bomber offered an explanation for the attacks,
saying, "Terror is a warning to infidels" and to "people who make
Islam their enemy."
It was the first time suicide bombers in Indonesia have left
recorded messages, a tactic they appear to have learned from
suicide bombers in the Middle East, counterterrorism experts said
Thursday.
One of Mr. Top's closest colleagues, Azhari Husin, was killed in
the raids last week.
Since his death, antiterrorism forces in Indonesia have focused on
tracking down Mr. Top.
Mr. Azhari and Mr. Top prepared the explosives used in the 2002
bombing in Bali, where 202 people were killed, officials
said.
The militant in the video on Thursday also issued warnings to the
prime minister of Australia, John Howard, and to that country's
foreign minister, Alexander Downer. "We especially remind Australia
that you, Downer and Howard, are killing Australia, leading it into
darkness and misfortune and mujahedeen terror," he said.
Source: New York Times Online.
