TheJakartaPost
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Police lauded for not taking key terror suspect alive
Leaders and politicians both at home and abroad have lauded the Indonesian police for their slaying Tuesday of wanted terror suspect Dulmatin
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eaders and politicians both at home and abroad have lauded the Indonesian police for their slaying Tuesday of wanted terror suspect Dulmatin.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday praised “the professional operation by Indonesian authorities”.
“This is difficult, hard and dangerous work,” he said in a televised press conference.
“I congratulate the Indonesian authorities for this.”
Rudd added the efforts by the Indonesian police to undermine terrorist networks in the country had proved fruitful.
Dulmatin was believed to have been involved in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Praise for the police was also forthcoming back home.
“Two thumbs up for the police’s success,” the Democratic Party’s Ramadhan Pohan, a legislator with the House of Representatives’ Commission I on intelligence and foreign affairs, told The Jakarta Post.
“Terrorism is the enemy of civilization.”
He added Dulmatin’s death was timely, coming in the lead-up to a planned state visit to the country by US President Barack Obama.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri called the suspect’s death “praiseworthy” and dismissed speculation the raid was staged to divert public attention away from the Bank Century case.
“Terror attacks can happen at any time and anywhere, and can be carried out by anyone,” she said after opening a PDI-P provincial meeting in Medan, North Sumatra.
“We must stay vigilant.”
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) legislator Fahri Hamzah, with House Commission III on legal, human rights and security affairs, also echoed plaudits for the police, but hinted the raid might have been linked to Obama’s visit.
“The US intelligence presence is quite strong in Indonesia,” he said.
Association of Victims of Terror Bombings (Askobi) chairman Wahyu Adiarto also lavished praise on the police’s “excellent job” in not taking the suspect alive.
“The police applied a sound strategy and did quite well,” said Wahyu, a survivor of the 2003 JW Marriott bombing.
