MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT ALLEGED PLANS OF TERRORIST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001458

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/OCS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/ITA/EAP, EAP, EAP/MTS,
EAP/MLS, S/CT, INL FOR BARCLAY/BOULDIN/BUHLER
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR
LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN
DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE
FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA SOLOMON
NCTC WASHDC
NSC FOR E.PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KJUS PTER ID
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT ALLEGED PLANS OF TERRORIST
SUSPECTS

REF: A. JAKARTA 1415

B. JAKARTA 1335

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).


1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate Medan.


2. (C) SUMMARY: On July 29, international and local media
reported that recently arrested terrorist suspects had
murdered an Indonesian Christian, intended to target a U.S.
national, and planned to attack the Indonesian Supreme Court.
The GOI and Mission cannot confirm the substance of the
press reports. It is possible that dribs and drabs of
information are emerging as the suspects are interrogated by
the police, but there is no confirmation of that. END
SUMMARY.


3. (C) MEDIA REPORTS: July 29th press reports stated that
an unnamed Indonesian "anti-terrorism officer" and a lawyer
for the terrorist suspects had briefed the press regarding
the planned activities of a cell of suspected terrorists.
Indonesian police had arrested the 10 suspects--linked to the
terrorist group Jemmah Islamiyah (JI)--on July 2 in the
Palembang region of South Sumatra (see reftels). (Note: The
police had surveilled the suspects for over one year. During
the operation, the police recovered numerous Improvised
Explosive Devices, IED's.) Police transported the suspects
to a Jakarta jail after the arrests. The GOI has not charged
the suspects yet. Police are reportedly interrogating them
before formal charges are brought.


4. (U) Without much by way of further information, the press
reports stated that the suspects had:

-- Murdered an Indonesian Christian in Sumatra.

And:

-- Had plans to target a U.S. national named "Samuel" who was
a teacher living in Sumatra.

-- Had plans to bomb the Indonesian Supreme Court building in
central Jakarta. This attack was to be in retribution for
the convictions of the Bali bombers who are now on death row.


-- Had plans to disrupt joint Singaporean-Indonesian military
exercises.

(Note: Other press reports have asserted that the suspects
planned to attack other sites in Sumatra and in Jakarta.)


5. (C) NO CONFIRMATION: Mission has touched base with key
GOI contacts and they cannot confirm the press reports. In a
July 29 discussion with DepPol/C, Dharmawan Ronodipuro,
Deputy at the Counter Terrorism Desk of the Coordinating
Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, was
unable to confirm the media reports or identify their source.
He said he was also looking into the media reports but had
no further information.


6. (C) AMCIT INVOLVED?: Mission also has no further
information about the possibility of the suspects targeting
an AmCit. Mission sources have confirmed that a Fulbright
English-language teaching assistant with the first name of

JAKARTA 00001458 002 OF 002


"Samuel" was assigned to Sekayu, Sumatra, until May of this
year (he has since left Indonesia). Mission knows of no
other American fitting the description of the purported
target more closely than that. Sekayu was the site of the
initial arrest (of Singaporean national Muhamed Hassan) that
led to the police operation. Mission does not have any
information that this AmCit was the one that the suspects
were purportedly targeting, but we are checking further with
the Indonesian authorities.


7. (C) As mentioned, police are now reportedly interrogating
the suspects. It is possible that dribs and drabs of
information are emerging (via news leaks, etc.) as the
suspects are interrogated, but there is no confirmation of
that.
HUME