Indonesia television airs terror warning

By Peter Gelling International Herald Tribune

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2005

JAKARTA A man wearing a mask who is believed by Indonesian officials to be a leading militant threatened Western nations with more terrorist attacks in a video played on Indonesian television Thursday.

"America, Australia, England and Italy are all our enemies," he said in the video. "Know that as long as you all continue to colonize the land of Iraq and Afghanistan and intimidate Muslims, then you too will feel our intimidation and terror."

Indonesian officials said they believed the man in the video was Noordin Top, one of Southeast Asia's most wanted militants. He is linked to the bombings in Bali in 2002, in Jakarta in 2003, at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004, and in Bali last month.

The video also included final statements from the three suicide bombers who killed 19 people in an attack in Bali last month.

One of the men said he would be in heaven when the video was finally aired. Another sent a message of hope to his family and wife. The last bomber offered an explanation for the attacks: "Terror is a warning to infidels" and "people who make Islam their enemy," he said.

It was the first time suicide bombers in Indonesia have left prerecorded messages, something they appear to have learned from suicide bombers in the Middle East, counter-terrorism experts said Thursday.

The Indonesian antiterrorism police found the video during raids last week on several terrorist hide-outs.

One of Top's closest colleagues, Azhari Husin, was killed in the raids. Since his death, Indonesian antiterrorism forces have focused their efforts on tracking down Top.



The explosives loaded into the van and detonated in 2002 in Bali, where 202 were killed, had been prepared by Azhari and Top, according to officials.

In the video, the militant also issued warnings to Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer of Australia. "We especially remind Australia that you, Downer and Howard, are killing Australia, leading it into darkness and misfortune and mujahideen terror," he said.

A police spokesperson said the national police chief would meet with Muslim leaders this week to show them videos found during the raids and to discuss ways of preventing recruitment by terrorist groups.