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Army ready in wake of terror threat
Thu, 11/06/2008 10:33 AM | Bali
The Udayana Military Command says it is ready to take necessary measures to help police secure Bali after some high-ranking officials, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, received threatening messages.
"It's about the dignity of our country. If the perpetrator wants to mess about here, they should not expect to sleep soundly because we will not just sit back," Commander Maj. Gen. Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan told reporters Wednesday.
The threats, written in Indonesian, English and Arabic, were allegedly sent by the three death-row convicts Amrozi, Ali Gufron and Imam Samudra. The messages were posted on a website Tuesday.
The National Police have ordered a team of detectives from the cyber crime unit to determine whether the emails were genuine.
The three Bali bombers are awaiting execution in the high-security Nusakambangan penitentiary in Cilacap, Central Java.
They were found guilty of masterminding the deadly bombing in 2002 that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Hotmangaradja said there had not been any signs of danger or urgent personal requests for protection from the prosecutors in Bali ahead of the execution.
"We haven't heard any reports of danger or risks from our intelligence. But we will give our best effort to maintain security on the island," he said, adding residents would also play their part in controlling the situation.
Apart from deploying intelligence officers, he said, soldiers would be allocated to help police guard the entrances to Bali and sweep areas that had large numbers of newcomers.
"All of our 3,500 soldiers are deployed and our security alert system has been at its highest since the conclusion of the recent Asian Beach Games. We also vow to help secure nearby East Nusa Tenggara and East Java," Hotmangaradja said.
He said the top-rank security would last at least until January, and the army would also be on alert for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The police have been guarding the island's entrance points and public places.
The traffic police operation targeting motorcyclists' documents on the streets has also been carried out more frequently ahead of the execution, which is reportedly scheduled for this week. -- JP/Indah Setiawati
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