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U.S. brands Indonesian group terrorist
From CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel and Producer Elise Labott
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration Wednesday designated Indonesia's radical Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah as a foreign terrorist organization under U.S. law. The United States believes the JI network was behind this month's deadly bomb attack in Bali that killed nearly 200 people, although Secretary of State Colin Powell said U.S. officials have not come to any conclusion about who was responsible for the bombing. In a written statement, he said the group's designation as a terrorist organization was "the result of a process that has been under way since well before the Bali bombings." "The Bali situation makes clear we have to take terrorism in southeast Asia seriously," a senior administration official said, adding that the region is a "high priority" in the campaign against terrorism. The latest State Department Patterns of Global Terrorism report says that in addition to Indonesia, Jemaah Islamiyah has cells operating throughout southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia and possibly the Philippines. The United States says Jemaah Islamiyah, whose stated goal is to create an Islamic state comprising Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the southern Philippines, is linked to the al Qaeda network and some of its members are known to have trained in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. In December 2001 Singapore authorities arrested 15 JI members who planned to attack the U.S. and Israeli embassies and British and Australian diplomatic facilities in Singapore. Some of those members, as well as those arrested in Malaysia and the Philippines have revealed links with al Qaeda, Powell said in his written statement. The senior administration official said intelligence gathered during the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan and subsequent interviews with al Qaeda detainees in Guantanamo "helped gather information that makes us understand JI's relationship to al Qaeda and its own terrorist activities." "It's a regionally focused group with clear linkages to the broader jihad movement led by Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda," he said. The designation of JI allows the United States to block the financial assets of the group in U.S. institutions, denies U.S. visas to members and makes it illegal under U.S. law to provide support to the group. JI also is listed under an executive order signed by President George W. Bush in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks that allows the government to strike at the financial operations of those it believes are terrorists. In connection with the State Department designation, the United States and its ASEAN partners are asking the United Nations sanctions committee to include JI on its list of terrorist groups and individuals, which requires all UN members states to freeze its assets, prevent sale of weapons to it and stop members from traveling to any member nation.
"This is not going to take down JI tomorrow, but it will provide a very strong tool for us and our partners," the senior official said. The designation comes amid increased threats to Americans and other tourists in Indonesia. Recent State Department travel warnings say "the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta has received information that indicates extremist elements may be planning additional attacks targeting U.S. interests in Indonesia, particularly U.S. government officials and facilities." Because security has been heightened at U.S. diplomatic and military facilities, the government fears terrorists are now going after "soft targets" and has warned Americans to "avoid large gatherings and locations known to cater to a foreign clientele, including but not limited to resorts, tourist sights, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and places of worship." The State Department ordered the departure of all non-essential embassy personnel and the families of embassy personnel from the country following the bombings in Bali. Last week Indonesian authorities arrested the group's spiritual leader, Abu Bakar Bashir, who instead of showing up for police questioning, checked himself into a hospital. The group's second in command and person believed to be in charge of the group's operations, known as "Hambali," is believed to be at large somewhere in southeast Asia. But the U.S. is pushing the government of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to do more to crack down on terrorism in the country. Last week the Indonesian government passed two emergency anti-terrorism decrees, expanding powers to arrest and interrogate suspected terrorists, and allowing the death penalty death for those convicted in certain cases of terrorism.
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