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Indonesian extremist preaching jihad again Thursday, May 12, 2005 Chris Brummitt Associated Press Jakarta, Indonesia -- Abu Jibril raised his fist and promised worshippers in a packed suburban mosque last month that every coin they donate to overthrow Indonesia's secular government will be repaid hundreds of times over in heaven. "The government no longer looks to Allah, but to America," said the soft-spoken preacher, who argues that only jihad, or holy war, can establish an Islamic state in the 210 million- strong country, home to more Muslims than any other. "Prepare your forces and banish the enemy." Two years after Washington blocked Jibril's assets and declared him a terrorist -- the alleged "primary recruiter and second in command" of Southeast Asia's deadliest al-Qaida- linked group, Jemaah Islamiyah -- he's back delivering extremist sermons. Indonesian authorities keep Jibril under surveillance, but say they have no evidence he has committed a crime in the country, where he was deported after his release a year ago from prison in Malaysia. Now, he travels, preaches and meets other known extremists and followers. Jibril, who is also known by a host of aliases, including Mohammed Iqbal bin Abdul Rahman, denies having terrorist links and insists the U.S. allegations against him are false. "They are no surprise because they come from a government of unbelievers," he told the Associated Press at the Ar-Rahma Mosque on the grounds of a hospital in south Jakarta. "If they have proof, why don't they present it?" But Jibril, 47, won't talk about his past, saying with a smile, "It is a long story." In January 2003, the U.S. Treasury Department blocked Jibril's assets and accused him of being the "primary recruiter and second in command" of Jemaah Islamiyah, whose operations span 10 years and a half-dozen Southeast Asian countries. The group, which officials say got funding from al-Qaida, is blamed for the 2002 bombings that killed 202 people on the resort island of Bali, a 2003 suicide bombing at a U.S.-owned hotel in Jakarta and a string of other attacks and plots against Western targets. In his sermon, Jibril said Muslims were obliged to join a jihad to topple Indonesia's government and replace it with one based on Islamic law or Shariah. "His heart is certainly in the wrong place, but you can't put him behind bars for that," said Ken Conboy, a security analyst in Jakarta who is writing a book on Jemaah Islamiyah. Building a case against Jibril is made more difficult because Indonesia has not outlawed Jemaah Islamiyah, a move that could trigger opposition from Muslim groups and political parties. Jemaah Islamiyah's alleged leader, Hambali, is in U.S. custody. Abu Bakar Bashir, Jemaah Islamiyah's alleged spiritual chief, is serving a 30-month sentence on terrorism charges related to the Bali attack. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
