COUNTERTERRORISM -- SIX CONVICTED FOR ATTACKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003312

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR BOULDIN
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE
DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE
FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH
NCTC WASHDC
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS ASEC PTER ID
SUBJECT: COUNTERTERRORISM -- SIX CONVICTED FOR ATTACKS

REF: A. JAKARTA 3109


B. JAKARTA 2852

C. JAKARTA 2346

D. JAKARTA 826

E. JAKARTA 194

F. 06 JAKARTA 11889

G. SURABAYA 39

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 b-d.


1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate General
Surabaya.


2. (C) SUMMARY: Prosecutors have won convictions against six
terrorists for a series of attacks in 2005-06. Verdicts in
three other terrorist-related trials are expected soon. The
Supreme Court has also upheld the convictions of four
terrorists linked to the 2005 Bali bombings. Trials continue
for alleged operatives of a Java-based terror cell. Several
terrorists convicted of attacks have been released from
prison after completing their sentences. The news about the
convictions is positive, indicating that the GOI continues to
work hard to lock up terrorists. END SUMMARY.
CONVICTIONS


3. (SBU) There is good news on the counter-terrorist front.
A Jakarta court convicted six men of terrorism for their
roles in a series of deadly attacks in Poso and Palu, Central
Sulawesi. The men were members of the "Tanah Runtuh" group,
a Poso-based terror cell led by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)
operative Hasanuddin (one name only),currently serving a
20-year sentence (ref D). The men were arrested by
Indonesia's key anti-terror police unit, Special
Detachment-88 (SD-88),in the wake of a deadly confrontation
between police and Laskar Mujahiddin militants in Poso in
January (ref E).


4. (SBU) The six men were all convicted under Indonesia's
2003 Anti-Terror law. Wiwin Kalahe, a member of the group
that beheaded three Christian schoolgirls in 2005, received a
19 year sentence, while co-conspirator Agus Nur Mohammad
received 14. Abdul Muis earned 18 years for a deadly 2005
bomb attack and the 2006 murder of a Christian minister. Two
men who helped plant a bomb that killed 22 people in Tentena,
Sulawesi, in May 2005. Syaiful Anam aka "Brekele" and Amril
Ngiode were sentenced to 18 years and 15 years for this crime
respectively. Yudi Heryanto Parson received 10 years 3
months for the shooting of two schoolgirls in 2005. Trials
of three other Poso suspects--Mohammad Basri, Tugiran and
Ridwan--are expected to conclude within the next week.


5. (C) The sentences given by the court were consistent with
previous cases. Prosecutors from the Attorney General's
Office Terrorism and Transnational Crime Task Force had asked
for 20 years for each suspect, which the court reduced by up
to 1/3 in accordance with standard Indonesian practice. The
only exception was Parson, who played a minor role in the
Tentena bombing but was only subsequently charged with the
schoolgirl shootings. According to CT expert Sydney Jones
(Amcit -- please protect),police requested leniency for
Parson because he turned himself in voluntarily and
cooperated during detention.


6. (C) According to Mission's court monitor (please strictly
protect),the prosecutors handled the cases well, working
closely with SD-88 to make sure the necessary witnesses were
brought in from Central Sulawesi. The defense team consisted
of Sulawesi-based members of the Muslim Defense Team (TPM)
led by Ashludin Hatjani. According to the court monitor, the
defense team was disorganized and not always prepared for
trial. Since the defendants all confessed their roles in the
attacks, the defense instead focused their arguments on the
alleged reasons behind the attacks: a sense of outrage over
attacks by Christians against Poso's Muslim community during
the communal violence of 1999-2001, and anger over the
failure of police to bring many of the perpetrators to

JAKARTA 00003312 002 OF 002


justice.

CONVICTIONS UPHELD


7. (U) Separately, Indonesia's Supreme Court upheld the
convictions and sentences of four terrorists linked to the
2005 Bali bombings that killed 22 people (ref F). Sentences
for JI recruiter Subur Sugiyarto (life),Joko Suroso (10
years),Sri Puji and Aditya Triyoga (6 years each) were
upheld by the Court on final appeal. (Note: A date for the
execution of the perpetrators of the 2002 Bali bombings has
still not been announced publicly.)

JI NETWORK


8. (C) Trials of six defendants linked to JI's "military"
wing remain underway in Jakarta (ref B). The six were
arrested in a series of raids in Central and East Java in
March. According to our court monitor, prosecutors and SD-88
have had difficulty bringing in several witnesses from
Central Java, in part due to lack of travel funds. As a
result, prosecutors are relying more heavily on the testimony
of other suspects, who have generally been forthcoming about
the activities of their colleagues.


9. (C) Several of the suspects testified in court that JI
militant Abu Dujana personally authorized various weapons
transfers, both within Java as well as from Java to Sulawesi.
These materials were likely used by some of the recently
convicted Sulawesi terrorists (see above). Reputed JI acting
"Amir" Zarkasih testified in several of the trials but
refused to give concrete testimony regarding the organization
or the activities of the other suspects. Dujana and Zarkasih
are expected to be brought to trial later this month.

RELEASES


10. (C) Five men convicted of involvement in two bombings in
Makassar, South Sulawesi, in 2002 have been released from
prison, according to Sydney Jones. The convicted
men--Haerul, Lukman Husain, Muchtar Daeng Lau, Muhammad Tang,
and Supriyadi--reportedly completed their seven year
sentences, minus annual remissions for good behavior.
According to Jones, Lau--an Afghan veteran who led a radical
study group while in jail--is likely to become a leader in
Makassar radical circles. Lau also has ties to Aziz Kahar
Muzzakar, head of the Committee to Uphold Islamic Law (KPSI)
in Makassar (ref G). The son of a former commander of Darul
Islam (a militant group which fought the government until its
defeat in the early 1960s),Muzzakar is a member of the South
Sulawesi Regional Parliament (DPD) and recently won 21% of
the vote in a failed bid to become governor of the province.

POSITIVE NEWS


11. (C) The news about the convictions is positive,
indicating that the GOI continues to work hard to lock up
terrorists. While some foreign observers may view the
sentences as lenient given the shocking nature of the
crimes--the schoolgirl beheadings were brutal beyond
belief--most Indonesians will view the punishment as
sufficient. Reaction to the convictions has largely been
mute: JI has few friends in Indonesia and the government's
anti-terror efforts maintain broad public support.
HUME