Australia, Jakarta upbeat on anti-terror links

CANBERRA/JAKARTA (Reuters) – Australia indicated on Sunday
it would consider joining a new regional anti-terrorism task
force reportedly being set up by Indonesia, although a senior
officer in Jakarta said cooperation was already strong.

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper said Indonesia wanted to set
up a regional counter-terrorism task force, and might put the
proposal to police chiefs from the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta this week.

However, Brigadier General Sisno Adi, Indonesia’s Interpol
secretary, told Reuters it was unlikely such a task force would
be discussed at the November 17 meeting in Jakarta, which
senior anti-terrorism officers would also attend.

“A task force needs lots of officers and equipment,” he
said.

“In fact, we can cooperate without one. This was proven by
the Bali bombings,” Adi said, referring to international
cooperation in tracking down militants behind the 2002
nightclub blasts that killed 202 people, including 88
Australians.

Other Indonesian police officials could not be reached to
comment on the possible task force.

Relations between the Australian and Indonesian forces are
especially strong in the wake of the 2002 Bali attacks.

Adi said Japan, Australia and New Zealand would send
officers as observers to the annual ASEAN police meeting this
week, which he said aimed to enhance cooperation in fighting
terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, piracy and other
crimes.

“However, we will mostly focus on terrorism and narcotics,”
he said.

The meeting will take place one week after Indonesian
anti-terrorism police killed one of the most wanted Islamic
militants in Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s Azahari Husin.

Azahari was the master bombmaker of Jemaah Islamiah, a
group seen as the regional arm of al Qaeda. Police have said
documents seized in raids that accompanied his killing show
militants might be planning more attacks in Indonesia,
including in Jakarta.

Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said Canberra
would look at any move to increase cooperation.

“Obviously it’s important for us to have the best possible
intelligence arrangements within the region, and to improve
capacity,” Ruddock told Australian television. “We’ll look at
any arrangement that will enhance those capacities.”

The Sunday Telegraph said Indonesia had invited Australian
Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty to attend the ASEAN
meeting and to deliver a speech, although Australia is not a
member of the 10-nation grouping.