Bomb Explosion at Jakarta Marriott Hotel

posted by ewing2001 on Monday August 04, @09:44PM

Jemaah Islamiah behind attack?

10 Die in Apparent Car Bomb Attack on Jakarta Hotel

Update: Jakarta Police had Prior Knowledge Ireland Online (08/06)
Update: Police attempt to identify driver of van The Star (08/07)

VOA News -JAKARTA, Indonesia Aug. 5 ?

At least 10 people are dead and over 100 are injured after a suspected car bomb exploded outside a high-rise hotel in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The explosion comes just as judges prepare the verdict in the trial of a suspect in last year's Bali terrorism bombing.

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Dozens of emergency vehicles raced to the J.W. Marriott hotel in central Jakarta early Tuesday afternoon, after a bomb gutted the hotel's lobby, blowing out walls and shattering windows as high as 20 stories.

Four taxis in front of the hotel were destroyed. The body of one of victim lay next to a taxi. Nearby buildings were also damaged.

Authorities say the blast was likely caused by a car bomb. The governor of Indonesia's capital Jakarta says it may have been the work of a suicide bomber. Police have not determined who is responsible for the bomb.

South Asia Analysis Group about Terror in Indonesia

Paper no. 746 - 28. 07. 2003

JEMAAH ISLAMIAH- The Indonesia based terrorist organisation.

by C.S  Kuppuswamy

?Indonesian terrorism is clearly bigger than we thought and there are more little groups  than we thought.  It covers the entire country  - that is the scary thing?

-Sydney  Jones of the  International Crisis Group (FEER December 19, 2002)

Since Independence Indonesia had witnessed a number of sectarian clashes and violence through freedom   movements.  However it is only the Bali bombings of October 2002,   that  has  alerted the government of the prevalent terrorist trends   and activities in the country. The arrests of the   Jemaah  Islamiah (JI) members (Indonesians) in the neighbouring countries have also embarrassed the government. 

JI  the Al-Qaeda linked militant group is the main suspect for the Bali bombings of  October 2002.  Attention of the international media is again focused on the JI as its alleged leader Abu Bakar Bashir is now under trial in Jakarta from 23 April, 2003 for treason.  He is charged for having plotted to overthrow the Indonesian Government and for being involved in a series of church bombings in December 2000.  JI is included in the list of   terrorist organizations of the United States and the United Nations. 

The Past 

The   words  JI  means Islamic Community.  The JI had its beginnings at the village level  for resisting the increasing influences of the secular world and for the devout Muslims of Indonesia to practice their religion according to the tenets.  By the end of the last century it had transformed itself into a militant revolutionary force taking upon them the task of elimination of all Western influences.  The ultimate aim of this organization is to have a Pan-Islamic state covering Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and some parts of southern Philippines.  Abu Bakar Bashir is the  alleged spiritual leader of JI though he has denied it. 

Organisation  and Activities 

Ahmed Sajuli, a witness in the trial of Abu Bakar Bashir has indicated that the headquarters of JI was in Malaysia.  It was moved to Indonesia only in 1999 when its founder Abdullah Halim died and Bashir took over the leadership. 

The total membership of JI is still uncertain though Indonesian police estimate that the strength of JI in Indonesia is approximately 2000.  An ABC Asia-Pacific profile of this group in April 2003  indicates that the Malaysian cells alone of this group may comprise 200 members. 

An Asociated Press report referred to by Teresa Cerojano  of Manila indicates that the JI is a ?well connected, sophisticated group which uses modern technology, such as mobile phones and e-mail to communicate and whose members have had extensive training. 

The report also indicates that JI has three main cells operating in  South East Asia and has links with other Muslim radical groups such as the Al-Qaeda and the Moro Islamic Liberation  Front (MILF) of Philippines.   These cells are called the ?mantiqis?. 

The Mantiqi 1 or M1 based in Malaysia covers Malaysia (except Sarawak and Sabah), Singapore and Southern Thailand.  The M 2 covers all Indonesia except Sulawesi and Kalimantan.  The M 3 covers Borneo,  Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. 

The members of these cells have been exposed to the use of security, tradecraft and operate with code words and code numbers.  Some of the members have had  training in Islamic schools in Pakistan, in camps in Afghanistan, Philippines and Indonesia. 

JI  began developing plans in 1997 to target   US interests in Singapore and in 1999 conducted video taped surveillance of US targets in preparation for multiple attacks in Singapore.  In 2001 Singapore authorities arrested 15 JI members , some of whom had been trained in Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan who had planned to attack US, UK, Australian and Israeli diplomatic buildings in Singapore. 

The JI is being blamed for the December 2000 bombings of churches in which 19 persons died and for the Bali bombings of October 2002 in which over 200 people (of different nationalities) died.  According to Indonesian police 34 suspected members of JI have been arrested till June 21, 2003 of which three are under trial. 

Malaysia and Singapore  are said to have arrested over 100 people linked to JI .(BBC) 

Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali is being considered as the Operations chief of the JI at the time of the December 2000 bombings.  He is believed to be Osama bin Laden?s  pointman in South East Asia.  He is also alleged to have ordered some other JI members to carry out the Bali bombings.  He is still at large. 

Abu Bakar Bashir  

Abu  Bakar Bashir is a 64 year old Muslim cleric from Central Java.  He is a school teacher and founder of the Al-Mukmin Islamic boarding school in Solo (Central Java) which has more than 2000 students.  The youth are being prepared to defend Muslims against infidels with  main emphasis on Jihad.  The school is run more on the lines of the ?madrassas? of Pakistan.

He is also the leader of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) which aims to convert Indonesia into an Islamic State.  He denies being the emir (leader) of the JI and also of his involvement in any of the crimes including the Bali bombings.  Sydney Jones of the International Crisis Group describes him as ? the social lynchpin of the network, the person who connects everybody else?. 

In 1978 he was convicted of subversion against the autocratic government of Indonesia under Suharto?s rule.  He escaped to Malaysia in 1985 at the appeals stage and returned to Indonesia only in 1999 after Suharto stepped down. 

He has made statements in the recent past conveying his hatred towards President Megawati as she is serving the US interests and that she is  not a good Muslim.  He also blamed her government for being secular and for the acceptance of US aid for anti terrorism  which was a great disaster for the Muslims.  He had also praised Osama bin Laden as a true ?Islamic warrior? but denies any links with him or Al-Qaeda. 

His popularity in the country can be gauged by the fact that he was voted Man of the year  last year by ?Sabili?  ? the widely read and influential news magazine of Indonesia.  His apparent political clout has put the government on the defensive in apprehending  him .  The government resisted demands by the US and other Western governments to take action against him till he was first arrested in October 2002. 

Links with Al-Qaeda and other organizations. 

The JI?s links with Al-Qaeda, the  MILF,   the Kumpulan Militan Malaysia, Laskar Jihad  and the Indonesian Mujahidin Council  have come to light from various reports and the interrogation reports of JI suspects apprehended in Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines.  John Mcbeth writes  (FEER 17, July 2003)  that ?the majority (of the JI) appear to be alumni of MILF in the southern Philippines where intelligence reports say as many as 700 Indonesians were trained in 1997-98". 

An Associarted Press report from Philippines indicated that ?Osma bin Laden planned in 2000 to move the base of his Al-Qaeda operations from Afghanistan to Aceh (Indonesia).  Two of his aides even visited the area and commented on the lax security and extent of support of the Muslim population?.  The report even mentioned that JI had received financial aid of US $ 40,000from Al-Qaeda over the last three years. 

Kumar Radhakrishna, an Assistant Professor of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore  in an article on JI explains that one of the characteristics of radical Islam espoused by the JI?s leadership is its external orientation.  Leaders like Abdullah Sungkarr, Hambali,Abu Jibril and Ibrahim Maidin all spent time in Afghanistan.  Because of this formative Afghan experience of its key leaders JI has acted like a regional agency of Al-Qaeda. 

Conclusion 

Indonesia is the world?s largest Muslim nation.  The majority of the Muslims are political moderates and liberal Muslims.   Despite this if Islamic militancy, which was suppressed under the rule of Suharto, has sprung up and gaining strength   it is a matter of serious concern for the present government. 

The Islamic movement in Indonesia is playing a dual role on both the political and the militancy front simultaneously.  The MMI has taken the responsibility of politically influencing the government and has had meetings with the Vice-President Hamza Haz who has openly admitted that he shares some of the views of the MMI and is more sympathetic to its cause.  

On the militancy front, the Islamic movement through organizations such as the JI and  Lakshar Jihad have funded para military groups which have instigated and perpetrated sectarian conflicts, attacked churches and curbed other Western influences on the country. 

The Government is faced  with a legal predicament in not banning this organization (JI) as it is not a legally registered organization.  Banning it amounts   to recognizing the existence of this organization.  The police is also handicapped because  of this loophole in apprehending the members of the JI. 

Transition to democracy in Indonesia  has been ridden with obstacles  of which the Islamic militancy is the major one.  The more open climate has facilitated the Islamic militants to function under the garb of political or religious activists.  The Iraq war and the resultant anti American sentiments have also aided these terrorist groups. 

The JI has become more of a threat to the South East Asian region than to Indonesia alone.   A recent bomb blast at the Indonesia?s parliament (14 July 2003) was the latest blow to the country grappling with Islamic militancy and separatist rebellion.  Though  this bomb attack was not  attributed to the JI, the government felt that it might be a reaction to the arrest of 10 suspected members of JI involved in the church bombings of 2000.  President Megawati is also soft pedaling in not  taking any firm action  because of the ensuing general elections in 2004.  

JI with its links has all the potential of becoming a regional Islamic front on the lines of the International Islamic Front of Osama bin Laden.  It is time the heads of state of the affected countries help and influence Indonesia to ensure that the situation does not go out of control.  The US which is helping  Philippines in this regard, should also support Indonesia both financially and militarily to weaken and liquidate the terrorist threat to this region. 

Some experts on terrorism and fundamentalism are of the opinion that the most important and ultimate root cause of JI extremism is not socio-economic or political but ideological.  Hence beyond law enforcement measures, neutralizing it must involve counter strategies in the political ideological and educational fields also.

US Embassy cancelled Booking 4.5 hours before explosion?

Due to a report by Indonesian News Portal Detik.com and a translation by WRH, the US Embassy "cancelled the booking of 10-20 rooms in that hotel. "

The original article:

Kedubes AS Batalkan Booking 20-an Kamar Marriott Pk 08.00

"...Ada kejadian menarik beberapa jam sebelum ledakan mengguncang Hotel JW Marriott, Mega Kuningan, Jaksel. Kedubes AS membatalkan pemesanan 10-20 kamar di hotel elit itu. Pembatalan dilakukan pukul 08.00 WIB, Selasa (5/8/2003) atau 4,5 jam sebelum ledakan dahsyat.

Informasi ini didapat dari orang dalam Hotel Marriott yang menolak disebut namanya. Dijelaskan, booking kamar sebanyak itu dilakukan sejak beberapa waktu lalu. Para tamu Kedubes AS itu rencananya hendak menginap selama 3 hari. Sedangkan acara yang digelar untuk mereka dijadwalkan Rabu besok..."

The Translation:

"...The US Embassy cancelled the booking of 10-20 rooms in that hotel. The cancellation was on 8.00 West Indonesian Time, Tuesday, or only 4.5 hours before the explosion. This information is from employee of Marriot Hotel who refused to be identified. He explained that the booking was made several days ago. The US Embassy's guests were planned to stay for 3 days. And the ceremony was planned on Wednesday. For information, when there was the explosion, the security of US Embassy directly came to the Marriot Hotel in Mega Kuningan. JW Marriot Hotel is known to be used frequently by US Embassy..."

"...The hotel, which lies on the main road through Jakarta?s business district and close to the diplomatic quarter of Menteng, is a favourite dining spot for foreign businessmen.

The US Embassy chose the Marriott last month for its annual July 4th independence day celebrations due to the hotel?s reputation for tight security.

Jakarta police 'knew hotel was a target'

Ireland Online -06/08/2003

Jakarta police seized documents last month showing terrorists were planning an attack in the area around the Marriott Hotel, where 14 people died yesterday in suicide car bombing.

Investigators were sifting through the wreckage today for clues, and detectives said they planned to release a sketch of one of two men believed to have bought the mini-van used in the blast.

Police attempt to identify driver of van that blew up outside hotel

The Star -Thursday, August 07, 2003

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian police on Thursday analyzed blood and DNA samples from body parts found inside a van that blew up outside Jakarta's Marriott Hotel to try to identify the vehicle's driver.

National police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis denied a media report that officers already knew the driver's identity.

"I can only confirm that we are trying to analyze DNA and blood samples found inside the vehicle,'' he said.

On Wednesday, police released a composite sketch of the man believed to have been driving the vehicle that blew up Tuesday outside the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Jakarta, killing at least 10 and injuring almost 150 people. In the immediate confused aftermath, the Indonesian Red Cross put the death toll at 14.

Terrorist Attack on the Marriot Hotel Complex in Jakarta

POWERFUL EXPLOSION: A powerful bomb exploded on Tuesday at about 12:30 p.m. just outside the JW Marriott Hotel on Jl. Dr Satrio in the Mega Kuningan business complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta, killing 13 people, and injuring 149 others.

font face="Arial">There were four blasts: Eyewitness 

An eyewitness described four separate blasts at the JW Marriot Hotel in the Mega Kuningan business complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday.

"I was going to take some pictures after the first blast when suddenly the second blast hit after about 10 minutes. The second was the largest of four," a journalist told The Jakarta Post.

He said the second blast was the one that caused the crater in the hotel's Sailendra Restaurant.

"I saw a hole in the floor of the restaurant going through to the basement.

"I also saw two smaller explosions on the upper floors of the hotel," he said 

As eyewitnesses report four blasts, at least two of which took place on the upper floors of the Marriot Hotel, other media is talking about just one carbomb :

Hotel blast 'caused by suicide bomber' 

JAKARTA (JP): The explosion at the JW Marriot Hotel in the Mega Kuningan business complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta, was a suicide bombing, a senior minister said on Tuesday.

"It is definitely a suicide bombing using a car," saidCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the scene of the explosion.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said police had found the wreckage of a Kijang minivan believed to have been used in the explosion.

"Our officers found the car's engine and chassis registration numbers, as well as its number plate," he said.

"Based on this information we will start our investigation to find the culprits," he said.

US Embassy cancelled the booking of Marriott Hotel 4.5 hours before the explosion.

There was something interesting happened just hours before the explosion shocked the JW Marriott Hotel, Mega Kuningan, South
Jakarta. The US Embassy cancelled the booking of 10-20 rooms in that hotel. The cancellation was on 8.00 West Indonesian Time, Tuesday, or
only 4.5 hours before the explosion.

This information is from employee of Marriot Hotel who refused to be identified. He explained that the booking was made several days ago.
The US Embassy's guests were planned to stay for 3 days. And the ceremony was planned on Wednesday.

For information, when there was the explosion, the security of US Embassy directly came to the Marriot Hotel in Mega Kuningan. JW
Marriot Hotel is known to be used frequently by US Embassy. On 4 July 2003, the Independent Day of US was celebrated on this hotel. Last
year, it was also celebrated there.

Jakarta police 'knew hotel was a target'

Jakarta police seized documents last month showing terrorists were planning an attack in the area around the Marriott Hotel, where 14 people died yesterday in suicide car bombing.

Investigators were sifting through the wreckage today for clues, and detectives said they planned to release a sketch of one of two men believed to have bought the mini-van used in the blast.

Hotel staff and guests evacuated BEFORE the blast

The blast at the US-owned JW Marriott Hotel was described as a "huge explosion" and ripped through the 33-storey building, shattering windows several floors above the ground floor and scattering rubble and debris.

Hotel bosses said staff and guests had been evacuated before the blast, which happened during the busy lunch hour.

CNN: Jakarta forensic teams find possible Bali link in Car Bomb ingredients

At least 10 killed in hotel blast in Indonesian capital

Tuesday, August 5, 2003 Posted: 3:55 PM EDT (1955 GMT)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Searching through rubble, forensic experts have found clues that could link Tuesday's bomb blast at a Jakarta, Indonesia, hotel to attacks last year in Bali, CNN has learned.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a powerful car bomb was detonated at lunch hour Tuesday at the five-star JW Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta, authorities said.

Indonesian officials said a Dutch national was among the dead, and U.S. State Department officials said at least two Americans were hurt. An earlier report that an American was killed was inaccurate.

Several Australians and Singaporeans also were wounded in the attack, Indonesian officials said.

Forensics experts said one of the bomb ingredients was potassium chlorate -- the chemical used in October's Bali nightclub bombings that killed more than 200 people. Indonesian police have blamed the Bali attacks on the radical Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been linked to al Qaeda.

Last month, a raid on a suspected terrorist bomb-making factory netted a large quantity of potassium chlorate and a suspected member of the group.

No one has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack on the Marriott hotel, but suspicion surrounds Jemaah Islamiyah. In the past few weeks, police have said there were warnings that the group might be planning a major attack.

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri briefly visited the scene of devastation Tuesday evening, and her government is expected to announce stricter security measures Wednesday.

White House spokesman Scott McLellan said: "This is a deplorable attack on innocent civilians. We are fully prepared to assist in any way possible to bring those responsible to justice."

He added the attack was a reminder that the global war on terrorism is ongoing. "The war continues, and we will not stop until we have disrupted, dismantled and defeated these terrorist organizations," he said.

The blast occurred about 12:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, shattering scores of plate-glass windows in the 33-floor luxury hotel, which is popular with expatriate business executives.

CNN's Atika Shubert, reporting from the scene, said the explosion was powerful, with debris strewn across a wide area in front of the hotel. (On the Scene: Atika Shubert)

Pools of blood and broken glass littered the driveway running past the hotel complex.

One hotel guest, Australian tourist Simon Leuning, had just checked in and was relaxing in his room when the explosion occurred. "The window blew in, blew me across the room," he told Reuters Television. "I got out of there as fast as I could." (Blast scene)

Most of the dead and wounded were in the hotel lobby.

Ties to Bali bombing trial?

Tuesday's attack bears the hallmark of Jemaah Islamiyah, which aims "to inflict mass casualties, as was the case in Bali," said Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert with the Singapore-based Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.

"[Jemaah Islamiyah] is very much intact and operational," Gunaratna said. "This attack could have been timed to coincide with the trial of the Bali bombers."

A verdict is due this week in the case of the so-called "smiling bomber" -- the man accused of planting the bombs in the nightclub attacks on the Indonesian island of Bali. (Bomber awaits fate)

Investigators said Jemaah Islamiyah funded the Bali bombers.

Jemaah Islamiyah's alleged spiritual leader, radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'ashir, is also on trial for a series of bombings in 2000.

Hotel security considered tight

Visitors to the JW Marriott said the hotel had implemented stringent security checks, including metal detectors, and was considered to be one of the most secure hotels in the city.

The hotel, part of the U.S.-owned international chain, is near a number of foreign embassies and headquarters of several major multinational corporations.

It is also a popular venue for functions, and the U.S. ambassador used it to host July Fourth celebrations.

The Marriott opened in September 2001 and is situated to the south of Jakarta's city center in the newly developed Mega Kuningan commercial district.

For those who need information about employees and guests of the Jakarta Marriott, the company offers these numbers: Inside the United States, call (866) 211-4610, and outside the United States, call 011-402-390-3265.

Link: Political backgrounds behind the terrorist attack on the Sari Club on Bali (October 12th, 2002)

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