Indonesia issues anti-terror decree, leader of suspect group is hospitalized, avoiding questioning

<br>JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) _ Indonesia issued a tough anti-terror decree Saturday that would punish the Bali bombers with the death penalty, while the spiritual leader of an Islamic group suspected in

Friday, October 18th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) _ Indonesia issued a tough anti-terror decree Saturday that would punish the Bali bombers with the death penalty, while the spiritual leader of an Islamic group suspected in the attack was hospitalized, postponing his police interrogation.

Nearly a week after bombs exploded in a nightclub district on the resort island, killing at least 183 people and injuring more than 300, the world's most populous Muslim country appeared to be heeding months of calls to crack down on terrorism.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government achieved two milestones in the anti-terrorism fight _ ramming through emergency measures by decree after months of legislative delay in Parliament, and naming the cleric Abu Bakar Bashir as a suspect in terrorism.

Both reflected signs of the difficulties confronting the government, which has feared a crackdown could provoke a backlash by extremists. The decree was announced nine hours late after a Cabinet meeting Justice Minister Yusril Mahendra said was hung up on unspecified points.

The final decree permits suspects to be detained for three days based on intelligence reports. A judge can then order the suspect held for up to six months for further interrogation without charge.

Anyone who commits an act of terror, or threatens to do so, or who damages public or international facilities, could face prison sentences ranging from four years to life to death by firing squad. Using chemical, biological or radioactive materials to cause terror would bring the same penalties.

People who stockpile or use firearms or explosives could face penalties ranging from three years in jail to death.

The measures were made retroactive to cover the Bali bombing.

``After what happened in Bali, Indonesia urgently needs a law to fight terrorism,'' Justice Minister Yusril Izha Mahendra said. ``By having this decree, we have the authority to take action against terrorism.''

The measures will be enforced by the police. Many Indonesians are hesitant about giving wider powers to the military _ which has a record of human rights abuses only partially reined in by democratic leaders since dictator Suharto was toppled in 1998.

Bashir, 64, who runs an Islamic boarding school in the Java city of Solo, was summoned by police to the capital to be questioned Saturday about his alleged involvement in deadly church bombings in 2000.

Police have said Bashir is not a suspect in the Bali bombings, but the al-Qaida-linked organization he is accused of leading, Jemaah Islamiyah, is viewed by the United States and Australia as a prime suspect in the attack.

Bashir avoided questioning, at least for now. Hours after giving a defiant sermon to about 300 followers in Solo in which he prayed for the safety of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, he was admitted to a hospital for respiratory problems. Doctors said he would be examined and probably would not be released before Sunday.

``He looks exhausted,'' said Soleh, a Bashir aide. ``We have to wait for what the doctors say.''

Col. Hasyim Irianto, the police chief of Solo, was told by Bashir at the Muhammadiyah Hospital that he expected to be released in two days. The police official said questioning would be postponed, but not canceled.

Malaysia and Singapore have urged Indonesia for months to arrest Bashir after uncovering a plot by Jemaah Islamiyah to blow up the U.S. Embassy and other Western targets in Singapore. The two countries have jailed nearly 100 suspected Jemaah Islamiyah members.

Indonesia had refused, saying there was not enough evidence to prove Bashir committed a crime.

Under enormous international pressure, officials flipped their position Friday after a team of Indonesian investigators returned from questioning Omar al-Faruq, an al-Qaida operative who was arrested in Indonesia and turned over to U.S. custody in June.

Al-Faruq fingered Bashir as ordering the Christmas Eve 2000 church bombings and implicated him in the activities of Jemaah Islamiyah. Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang told The Associated Press that Bashir is now a suspect and may be arrested for the church bombings, in which 19 people were killed and dozens injured.

Bashir denied any involvement in the church bombings and the Bali attack and said he does not know al-Faruq, a Kuwaiti. He accused the United States of inventing both al-Qaida and Jemaah Islamiyah and claimed Washington wants to portray Muslims as terrorists.

In Bali, Indonesian and Australian investigators said for now they have no plans to question Bashir about the nightclub attack.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard was heckled in Bali by relatives of those dead or missing in the blast _ many of them tourists from Australia _ and urged to speed the painfully slow identification and repatriation process.

Australia urged its citizens to leave Indonesia. Howard told the Melbourne radio station 3AW that he believed ``further terrorist attacks in the region are very likely.'' Britain also advised its citizens to leave and authorized a voluntary withdrawal of nonessential staff from its embassy in Jakarta.

The U.S. Embassy confirmed that nearly 300 nonessential staff had left by Friday. Ambassador Ralph Boyce denied a New York Times report that he had warned Megawati the day before the blast that a group linked to al-Qaida was planning attacks against Westerners.

``I'm not in a habit of issuing warnings to foreign countries' presidents,'' Boyce said.