Global Literacy Project 2 Amber Rose Kottre Freshman Academy Team 10

Title: Slow Progress In Bali Inquiry Hints at Wilier Terror Groups Author: Raymond Bonner

Summary: An investigation into Bali terrorist bombings over a month ago has yet to yield any leads or breakthroughs. The slow progress of the investigation has lead investigators and officials to believe that the terrorist network in Southeast Asia has become more sophisticated in carrying out their attacks and in avoiding detection. Indonesian Officials and Western Security specialists have reason to believe that the preparations and/or the bombs were made in the Philippines. Things like training the suicide bomber, and assembly of the back-pack bomb which has detonation wires sown into the straps, would have take place there. Investigators have been lead to believe that the bombs were made by a man who is number three on the Bush Administration’s list of most wanted terrorists, Mr. Dulmatin. He was the master mind behind the first Bali Bombings three years ago. He was trained in explosives in an Al Quaeda camp in Afghanistan during the 1990’s. No arrests have been made in this investigation which is in contrast to recent suicide bombing investigations in 2002, where a van full of explosives exploded outside a nightclub in Bali killing 202 people. The chassis number on the van was still identifiable which led to a quick arrest. But since the perpetrators are using smaller, less effective bombs, so as not to be detected, it is becoming increasingly difficult to detect their terrorist behavior. One of the suicide bombers was caught on tape with the back pack bomb and appeared to have no trouble walking around with the package. So for no arrests have been made even though the three suicide bomber’s faces have been posted all over the news, news papers and on fliers.

Analysis: Terrorist groups are becoming smarter and more deceitful. The fact that no arrests have been made points to the fact that they have a better understanding of what they are doing, how they are doing it, and what they can and cannot get away with. Some of the materials may very well have entered the country before the suicide bombers. This creates a very small window of time for any outsider to identify them. The type of explosives in all three bombings have not been identified, showing that they have taken extra precautions to remain anonymous. In this current investigation the terrorists have given authorities very little, if not nothing, to go off of. Leaving them frustrated and with no where to look. The terrorists obviously learned from the nightclub bombing in Bali that they cannot afford to be caught again because some one much higher up in their chain of command must be running the show. Why else would they take so many precautions? Why else would the make the effort to become completely untraceable? It is believed that small group is involved in the Bali bombings and two of the main bomb makers in the first two Bali attacks, Azahari Husin and Dulmatin, are prime suspects. The US has offered a $10 million dollar reward for information leading to Dulmatin. But in the mean time, with smarter terrorists and undetectable explosives, there is an extremely high likelyhood of more suicide bombing attacks in the near future.

So why is this important and what should be done about it? This is important in more places than just Bali, if a man can walk into a crowded area with a back pack on and suddenly explode in Bali, what is to keep him from walking through Grand Central Station, or Time Square, or LAX, or outside the gates of the White House at peak hours. What is to stop someone from doing the same while touring Buckingham Palace, or visiting the UN? Right now, nothing is preventing that. Thousands of people walk through all of those areas at any given time of day wearing back-packs, carrying large purses, or totes. Would it really be as unimaginable as we think? Every one always says, “Oh that will never happen to me.” But think about it, the collapse of the Twin Towers happened to us.

-- JeanineJohnson - 03 Nov 2005
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