The EU as a counter-terrorism actor abroad

This paper by the EPC looks at thehandling of counter-terrorism in the ensemble of EU external relations and assistance vis-à-vis five countries of recognised importance for European interests: Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Counterterrorism Squad Densus 88 Now Its Own Police Unit

As part of an internal restructuring process, the Indonesian National Police officially turned Densus 88 (Detachment 88) into a dedicated department within the force, directly responsible to the National Police chief and separating it from the detectives unit. By making Densus 88 a separate department, communication would improve with other law enforcement agencies, particularly the [...]

Indonesia’s new anti-terror chief seeks tougher laws

The new chief of Indonesia’s anti-terror agency complained Tuesday that courts were being too easy on terrorists and called for tougher laws to fight jihadist extremists. National Anti-Terror Agency (BNPT) Ansyaad Mbai said there was an “urgent need” to amend the anti-terror laws in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, following a series of attacks [...]

Indonesia: New Anti-Terrorism Agency Established

On July 30, 2010, it was reported that the Indonesian government had issued a regulation formalizing the establishment of a new National Anti-Terrorism Agency. Presidential Regulation No. 46 of 2010 was made under the 2003 Anti-Terrorism Law (Law No. 15 of 2003) and tasks the new agency with “formulating policies/national programs, coordinating government offices concerned [...]

Indonesia: The Dark Side of Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT)

The International Crisis Group has published an overview on Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), the organization led by Indonesia’s best-known radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir founded in 2008. Quote: An ostensibly above-ground organisation, it has embraced individuals with known ties to fugitive extremists. It has welcomed many members of the militant Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) but clashed [...]

Indonesia’s struggling deradicalisation policy

Indonesia’s vaunted “deradicalisation programme” aimed at bringing terrorists back into mainstream Islam has been exposed as a myth by recent arrests of re-offenders, analysts and police said. Senior police now acknowledge that no such programme exists and are issuing increasingly stark warnings that, on the contrary, the mainly Muslim country’s prisons are at risk of [...]

Indonesia’s anti-terror campaign under fire

It is reported that the Indonesian anti-terror squad hurtled from a white van on a bustling street as their quarry — three terror suspects — stepped out of a taxi. They shoved one to the ground and when he tried to shake free, shot him in the head. Another died from a bullet to the [...]

Indonesia: Anti-terror squad abuses alleged

On May 26, 2010, the Muslim Lawyers Team (TPM, a group of lawyers known for defending the suspects in the Bali bombing of 2002) submitted a report to the Indonesian National Commission of Human Rights concerning members of Detachment 88, an anti-terrorism police squad. The 15 members of TPM alleged that the police had committed [...]

Terrorist arrests in Jakarta

(Counterterrorism blog) On 6 May, the Indonesian counter-terrorist unit, Special Detachment 88, arrested seven persons in South Jakarta on suspicion of terrorist activities. Though details of the arrests have yet to be revealed, a police source stated that the seven moved to Jakarta a year ago and had been under surveillance for the past three [...]

UPI report: “Terror financing: still hard nut to crack”

United Press International discusses the strategies undertaken by the US in order to contrast the financing of terrorism. Quote: The European Union plans to get together with the United States next month to hammer out a new pact to disrupt the financing networks of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations. The U.S. Treasury Department has been [...]