COUNTER-TERRORISM: MORE MILITANTS GO ON TRIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003426 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, DS, INL FOR BOULDIN/BUHLER DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH NCTC WASHDC NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2017 TAGS: PGOV KJUS PTER ASEC ID SUBJECT: COUNTER-TERRORISM: MORE MILITANTS GO ON TRIAL REF: A. JAKARTA 3391 ¶B. JAKARTA 3375 ¶C. JAKARTA 3182 ¶D. JAKARTA 2939 ¶E. JAKARTA 1620 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Six more Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants--including senior leader Zarkasih--have been formally charged with terrorism. JI co-founder Abu Bakar Ba'asyir has also been in the news, making a none-too-veiled threat after meeting the three jailed Bali bombers. Few people believe, however, that Ba'asyir--who has made empty threats before--is actively planning an attack. Indonesian police--as they have in recent years--have ramped up security for the holiday timeframe. END SUMMARY. MORE MILITANTS IN COURT ¶2. (SBU) The trial of senior Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Zuhroni--popularly known as "Zarkasih"--and five other militants opened in Jakarta on December 17. The six men were arrested--along with senior militant Abu Dujana--in a series of raids carried out by Special Detachment 88 police (SD-88) in Central and East Java back in June (ref E). Dujana himself was brought to court last week (ref A). ¶3. (SBU) The six were charged with violating various articles of the 2003 Anti-terrorism Law, including articles 9 (possession of weapons for terrorist purposes),13 (aiding and abetting a terrorist),15 (conspiracy to commit terrorism),and 17 (holding a position in a terrorist organization). Zarkasih faces a possible death sentence under article 9, while the others face maximum punishments of 15 years. THE ACCUSED ¶4. (SBU) The six defendants are as follows (all articles refer to the Anti-terrorism Law): -- Zuhroni aka "Zarkasih" aka "Zainudin Fahmi" aka "Oni" aka "Mbah" aka "Abu Irsyad" aka "Nu'aim" Charges: articles 9, 13, 15, 17 Activities: Described by SD-88 as JI's "emergency" leader. Zarkasih's indictment includes a laundry list of terrorist activities, including: attending training in Pakistan in 1987; giving military instruction in the Philippines in 1998; approving the transfer of weapons and explosives from Java to Central Sulawesi in 2006-7; and serving as JI's leader. -- Taufik Masduki aka "Abu Khotib" aka "Gianto" aka "Abdul Rojak" aka "Suraji" aka "Ruli" aka "Yasid" aka "Tofik Kondang bin Sopari" Charges: articles 13 and 17 Activities: Masduki led a team which provided logistical support to JI leaders, including Zarkasih, Abu Dujana and Tentena bomber Syaiful Anam. Masduki's group secured safe houses, meeting places and transportation for JI militants. He is being tried together with Aziz Mustofa and Nur Afifudin (see below). -- Aziz Mustofa aka "Ari" aka "Bangkit" Charges: articles 13 and 17 Activities: A member of Masduki's logistics team. -- Nur Afifudin aka "Suharto" aka "Haryanto bin Suyadi" Charges: articles 13 and 17 Activities: A member of Masduki's logistics team. -- Arif Syaifudin aka "Tsaqof" aka "Firdaus" aka "Wito" Charges: articles 13 and 17 Activities: As an assistant to Dujana, Syaifudin traveled JAKARTA 00003426 002 OF 002 between Java and the Philippines several times a year carrying messages and cash back and forth. -- Aris Widodo aka "Tri" Charges: articles 13 and 17 Activities: Assistant to Abu Dujana. TRIAL DETAILS ¶5. (SBU) The trials are being held in South Jakarta District Court. Judges in that court recently sentenced ten terrorists to between 10 and 19 years for carrying out various attacks in Poso, Central Sulawesi (ref B). Members of the Attorney General's Task Force on Terrorism and Transnational Crime are leading the prosecutions. The defense is coordinated by Muslim Defense Team (TPM) lawyers Ashludin Hatjani and Aminudin. ¶6. (C) Zarkasih's case is being handled by the same USG-trained top-notch prosecutors--Narendra Jatna and Totok Bambang--who are trying Dujana. According to our court monitor (please protect),however, prosecutors have had some difficulty bringing witnesses from central Java to Jakarta to testify. Prosecutors have long complained about the lack of operational funds available to them, and in recent terror cases the police have stepped in to help. However, SD-88 officers told the court monitor that funds for witness travel were running short after the recent Poso trials (ref B). BA'ASYIR'S THREATS ¶7. (U) Former JI Emir and co-founder Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was back in the news after paying a visit to the three men currently awaiting execution for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombing (ref D). Ba'asyir repeated earlier statements praising the men as "holy warriors." Ba'asyir also warned threateningly that the execution of the three could precipitate a "huge disaster" for Indonesia, though few people believe that Ba'asyir--who has made empty threats before--is actively planning an attack. The three men are eligible for execution at any time, but authorities have not given any public indication as to when the executions will be carried out, although we have heard they may face execution early next year, perhaps in February. STEPPING UP SECURITY ¶8. (SBU) In the meantime, the Indonesian National Police (INP) have announced that they will beef up security around the country in preparation for the holiday season. The INP has provided additional holiday security around churches and tourist centers every year since 2000, when JI bombed dozens of churches on Christmas Eve. Already this past weekend, police were more in evidence on the streets in Jakarta. In past years, mainstream Islamic groups Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah have also provided volunteers to stand watch outside churches during the holidays, although they have yet to announce whether they will do so again this year. HUME