The journalist analyst in this story has identified one of the many problems that is facing Indonesia in their hunt for terrorists. However, I wonder whether in fact the real problem is the malaise towards the idea of hunting down other Muslims and putting them in jail. To date the Indonesian government has a poor record when it comes to their counter-terrorism work. The record is so poor that it should not have been surprising to learn that some of the people who were arrested and charged over the bombing of the Sari club in Kuta (Bali) have been set free, and within a short time of their freedom there has been another bombing.

The spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamayiah has released a statement disavowing his involvement, but can one really take the word of Abu Bakr Bashir seriously? He has his supporters and it is not all that difficult for him to give the world for another act of terror, just as he did for the bombing of the Marriott Hotel and the Australian Embassy. The Indonesian justice system does not have the heart to make the charges stick. It would seem that underneath they are afraid of the reaction of the mob if Bashir was given the death penalty for his crimes. It is worth noting that Bashir is not Indonesian by birth. He comes from Yemen. The country of Yemen is strategic when it comes to terrorist activities. There is a strong link between Yemen and the Al Qaeda network.

As someone who tracked terrorists in the Republic of Indonesia (ROI), I can share with you that terrorism is an accepted way of life in Indonesia. The Golkar Party secretly maintains an army of some 80,000 terrorists. Some 30,000 of those 80,000 terrorists are the suicide bomber caliber. They are able to reek havoc all over Indonesia, especially in Djakarta on Java. The main operating base is the island of Sumatra. Sumatra is the same island that accommodates the horde of Malacca Strait pirates.

Let us not ever forget Laskur Jihad. No Muslim group will enforce any restriction on that group. Recently, they beheaded some 400 Christians on Borneo in East Kalimantan, simply for being Christians.

The only successes against militants, not terrorists, have been conducted by the Indonesian Army against the Free Aceh Movement on Sumatra and the Free Papua Movement on New Guinea. Free Aceh Movement opposes Exxon; whereas, the Free Papua Movement opposes Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

FCX_Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
http://www.fcx.com/

Fortunately, the terrorists in Indonesia do not have bone to pick with Americans. Most terrorists operate more in line with intra-Indonesia, political agendas. Actually, where Al-queda terrorists attack American interests overseas, the Indonesian terrorists seem to be operating on behalf of American interests in the archipelago