A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the lobby of the JW Marriott Jakarta hotel on 5 August 2003, killing 12 people and injuring 150. Those killed included 11 Indonesians and one Dutch national. The hotel was viewed as a Western symbol, and had been used by the United States embassy for various events.[1] The hotel was closed for five weeks and reopened to the public on 8 September 2003.
Two weeks prior to the bombing, there was a tip call to senior Indonesian police officers from a militant captured during a raid in Semarang that two carloads of bomb-making materials were heading to the capital, Jakarta. During the raid, the police also discovered some drawings outlining specific areas in the city for possible attacks.[2]
The explosion
A Toyota Kijang, bought on 20 July 2003, from an Indonesian businessman for 25.75 million rupiah was loaded with explosives and driven through the taxi stand in front of the JW Marriott Jakarta.[3] The vehicle stopped briefly in front of the lobby and CCTV cameras show a security guard approaching the vehicle, briefly speaking to the driver. The security guard then turns and a detonation can be seen. It is still not clear if the explosion was accidental, set off by remote detonation or a timer exploding prematurely. If the vehicle had kept a course heading straight for the lobby the damage would undoubtedly have been more severe. The blast radius was visible along with the shattered windows of nearby buildings. According to Indonesian police, one of the ingredients in the car bomb contained the same chemical used in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings.[4][5] The bombs in both cases were made of the same mixture of explosives, mobile phones were used as detonators, and the attackers had tried to scrape off the identification numbers from the vehicle bombs.[3]
The severed head of Asmar Latin Sani, aged 28, and from West Sumatra, was later found on the fifth floor of the building,[6] The head was identified by two jailed members of the Jemaah Islamiyah group who said they had recruited him.[4][7]
Investigators uncovered the charred remains of a battery used to power the bomb and said it was similar to the ones used in a series of bombings against Christian churches on Christmas Eve 2000, in which 19 people were killed.[3]
The attack came two days before a verdict in the trial of the Bali nightclub bombers. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack and the perpetrators are known to have trained in al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan.[8]
Six days after the bombing, on August 11 al-Qaeda claimed responsibility, via the Arab media Al Jazeera, and singled out Australia for special attention.[3] The statement said
This operation is part of a series of operations that Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri has promised to carry out. [It is] a fatal slap on the face of America and its allies in Muslim Jakarta, where faith has been denigrated by the dirty American presence and the discriminatory Australian presence".[3]
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an organisation affiliated with al-Qaeda, is alleged to have carried out the bombing. The al-Qaeda link has been backed by Indonesia's Minister of Defense, Matori Abdul Djalil who said the JW Marriott bombers had trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Each one of them has special abilities received from training in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Matori Abdul Djalil said on 11 August 2003. He also claimed that the bombers were linked to a group of people arrested in the eastern Indonesian town of Semarang during July 2004 and are alleged to be members of Jemaah Islamiah.
There are many more Jemaah Islamiah members on the loose in Indonesia.... Because of this I am sure that JI is behind all of this.
The trigger for the JW Marriott bombing came in December 2002, when Indonesian police stepped up the hunt for Jemaah Islamiyah members while investigating the 2002 Bali bombings. Toni Togar, a JI member based in Medan, North Sumatra, was nervous, because his house stored all the explosives left over from JI's 2000 Christmas Eve bombings. He contacted Noordin Mohammad Top to tell him he was going to throw them out. Noordin had been part of the team that carried out the Christmas Eve bombings which was led by Hambali and included Imam Samudra and many of the other 2002 Bali bombers. He told Togar to hold on as he "saw good materials being wasted".
Abu Bakar Bashir approved of Hambali's activities, and Toni Togar was selected to take part in the new bombing plot. Hambali had already set a precedent for a secret team pursuing jihad on its own. This was in part because he controlled the separate funding from al-Qaeda. In January 2003, Muhammad Rais, Noordin and Azahari Husin moved to Bengkulu, where a group of JI members lived, including Asmar Latin Sani, who became the JW Marriott suicide bomber. The next stages of the operation took place in February 2003 when the explosives were transported from Dumai to Bengkulu via Pekanbaru,
Azahari secured the detonators with a new team member, Masrizal bin Ali Umar. also known as Tohir, another Pondok Ngruki graduate and a Luqmanul Hakiem teacher who was a close friend of Rais. After the explosives safely reached Bengkulu as unaccompanied baggage on an intercity bus, they were stored at the house of Sardona Siliwangi, another Ngruki student and JI member. At the time, Sardona, who was working with Asmar Latin Sani, opened a bank account in March 2003 to facilitate financial transactions for Noordin.
In late April 2003, Mohamed Ihsan also known as Gembrot and Idris, who was involved in the 2000 Christmas Eve bombings transported the explosives again. In May, he and Toni Togar, robbed a bank in Medan on May 6 to raise funds for the project. "Ismail", a Luqmanul Hakiem student who had worked with Rais and Noordin in the shock absorber repair shop in Bukittinggi, then received an email from Noordin asking him to pick up some packages from a man in Dumai. Ismail obliged, and the package turned out to be cash in Australian dollars, sent by Hambali via a courier.
A book that appears based in part on transcripts of Hambali's interrogation says Hambali arranged for A$25,000 to be sent: A$15,000 for operational expenses, A$10,000 for Bali bomber families. Conboy, op. cit., p.229. Hambali's younger brother, Rusman Gunawan, who was arrested in Karachi in September 2003, testified Hambali had secured a promise of A$50,000 from an Noordin on how to bring the cash from Dumai to Lampung.
On 4 June 2003, in Lampung, the final team was put together: Noordin, Azhari, Ismail, Asmar Latin Sani, and Tohir. Noordin assigned the tasks and explained that he was in charge, Azhari was field commander and Ismail his assistant. Asmar and Tohir would be in charge of renting the house, buying the vehicles and getting the explosives to Jakarta. Asmar had agreed to be the suicide bomber. When they got to Jakarta, they split into two teams to survey four possible targets. Azhari and Ismail examined the JW Marriott and a Citibank branch; Noordin and Tohir looked at the Jakarta International School and the Australian International School. Eventually they decided on the hotel because of the American brand name and the fact that it was easy to reach. The bombing took place on 5 August.
They all drove back to Blitar with 25 kilograms of potassium chlorate and ten kilos of sulfur for bomb making, as well as a pistol and ammunition. Not long afterwards, another operative delivered 30 extra kilograms of TNT.
Around this time a pamphlet was circulating in jihadist groups that was a translation from Arabic into Indonesian of an article that first appeared in the al-Qaeda on-line magazine Sawt al-Jihad. Entitled "You Don't Need to Go to Iraq for Jihad", it was written in 2003 by a Saudi jihadist, Muhammad bin Ahmad as-Salim.[9]
Suspects
Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali is being held at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, since his August 2003 arrest in Thailand. He is accused of masterminding the 2002 Bali bombings as well as the JW Marriott blast. According to interrogation reports, Hambali was undergoing plans to develop biological weapons, in particular anthrax. Hambali was al Qaeda's main connection in South East Asia, and was apparently trying to open an "Al Qaeda bio-weapons branch plant" in either Malaysia or Indonesia. He told investigators he had been "working on an Al Qaeda Anthrax program in Kandahar", Afghanistan.[10]
Azahari Husin, a former university lecturer, was also known as the "Demolition Man" because of his bomb-making skills, and used a mobile phone to detonate the JW Marriott bomb and included ingredients similar to other Indonesian blasts. According to Indonesian police, "If Azahari did not make the bomb, then its creator was following his manual."[11]
Noordin Mohammad Top was suspected of helping finance the Bali blast and helping build the JW Marriott bomb.[12] Noordin is a Malaysian citizen.[13]
Muhammad Rais was convicted in May 2004 of violating anti-terrorism laws in connection with the attack. Rais transported the explosives from various towns to Jakarta, where they were used in the bomb. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role.[8] "We saw the Marriott attack as a message from Osama bin Laden," Rais said at his trail.[14]
Rusman Gunawan alias "Gun Gun" was sentenced in October 2004 to four years jail for "facilitating and aiding terrorism". In particular he was found to have transferred the money (in Australian dollars) that was ultimately used to finance the JW Marriott bombing. He and six other Indonesian students were arrested during raids in Pakistan. He trained at the Al Ghuraba training camp in Afghanistan.[15] In 2002 while he attended university in Pakistan, he took over as the "intermediary" for e-mail messages between al-Qaeda and Hambali, who at the time was hiding in Cambodia.[16]
Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep is one of Hambali's key lieutenants and like Hambali is being held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He allegedly transferred the al Qaeda funds used for the bombing and knew of Jemaah Islamiah plots to launch attacks elsewhere in South East Asia. The CIA claims he was to be a suicide bomber for a "second wave" of al Qaeda attacks targeting Los Angeles.[17]
Gempur Angkoro alias Jabir, is al-Ghozi's cousin and was one of Top's most trusted men; he was killed in a raid on 29 April 2006. Jabir personally assembled the JW Marriott bomb, and the bombs used in the 2004 Jakarta embassy bombing. (Jakarta Post, 2 May)[18]
Sardona Siliwangi, was the first person to be sentenced for the JW Marriott attack. He had been "legally and convincingly" proven guilty of an act of terrorism, during his trial in the town of Bengkulu on the island of Sumatra, and sentenced to ten years in prison. Siliwangi had stored at his Bengkulu home, six cartons of explosives left by the suicide operative Asmar Latin Sani. The explosives were later moved to the South Sumatra town of Lubuk Linggau before being taken to Jakarta.[19]
Air Setyawan, Luthfi Haidaroh and Urwah were all arrested in the Central Java city of Surakarta on 26 July 2004 by Indonesia's Detachment 88 anti-terrorist squad, which is trained and equipped by the United States and Australia.[20]
Majid Khan pled guilty in 2012 to taking part in the bombing.
Al-Qaeda connection
Stuart A. Levey, the former Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the United States, believes that the 2002 Bali bombing, and the JW Marriott Hotel bombing were financed by smuggling $30,000 in cash for each attack from al-Qaeda to allied terrorists in Asia. By contrast, the 9/11 Commission estimated the 11 September attacks in 2001 cost between $400,000 and $500,000 over two years—at least some of which was deposited in foreign accounts and accessed by the plotters in the USA.[21]
Then Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney said:[22]
Hambali went to the training camps in Afghanistan that they ran back in the '90s, subsequently received funding from al Qaeda, went back then to Indonesia, and was behind some of the major attacks there. So you've got this sort of home-grown, but nonetheless affiliated, extremist operation going now in Indonesia. You'll find the same thing if you go to Morocco, where they had the attack in Casablanca; in Turkey, Istanbul, and so forth.
It was the simultaneous presence at al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan by militants from across South East Asia that facilitated many of the personal relationships that exist between JI and members of other violent Islamist groups. These include the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a secessionist movement fighting for a Muslim homeland in the southern Philippines, as well as several other Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai groups. The weight of evidence suggests that although some JI personnel might be inspired by the larger global mystique of figures such as Osama bin Laden, the South East Asian group remains operationally and organisationally distinct.[23]
Effects
The Jakarta Stock Exchange market index tumbled 3.1 per cent after the attack and its currency, the rupiah, lost as much as 2 per cent of its value against the US dollar.[24]
Australia issued a warning for its citizens to avoid all international hotels in Jakarta after intelligence found the capital could be under the threat of further attacks.[1]
A series of bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attacks killed 202 people and a further 209 people were injured. General Da'i Bachtiar, the Indonesian chief of police at the time, said that the bombings was the "worst act of terror in Indonesia's history".
Jemaah Islamiyah was a Southeast Asian Islamist militant group based in Indonesia, which was dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia. On 25 October 2002, immediately following the JI-perpetrated 2002 Bali bombings, JI was added to the UN Security Council Resolution 1267.
Dr. Azahari bin Husin, also known as Azahari Husin or Azhari Husin, was a Malaysian engineer and former university lecturer who was believed to be the technical mastermind behind the Philippine consulate bombing in Jakarta, Jakarta Stock Exchange bombing, Christmas Eve 2000 Indonesia bombings, 2002 Bali bombings, 2002 Makassar bombing, 2004 Poso bus bombing and 2005 Tentena market bombings. He was nicknamed the "Demolition Man". Prior to his death, he was one of the most wanted men in Indonesia along with Noordin Mohammad Top.
A one-tonne car bomb, which was packed into a small Daihatsu delivery van, exploded outside the Australian embassy at Kuningan District, South Jakarta, at about 10:30 local time on 9 September 2004, killing 9 people including the suicide bomber, and wounding over 150 others. The explosion gutted the Greek embassy on the 12th floor of an adjacent building, where three diplomats were slightly wounded. Damage to the nearby Chinese embassy was also reported. Numerous office buildings surrounding the embassy were also damaged by the blast, which shattered windows in buildings 500 metres (500 yd) away, injuring many workers inside, mostly by broken glass.
A series of bombings occurred on 1 October 2005 in Bali, Indonesia. Bombs were detonated at two sites in Jimbaran Beach resort and in Kuta 30 km (19 mi) away, both in south Bali. The attack claimed the lives of 20 people and injured more than 100 others. The attack was known in Indonesia as the second Bali bombings to distinguish it from the 2002 attacks.
Noordin Mohammad Top was a Malaysian Muslim extremist. He was also referred to as Noordin, Din Moch Top, Muh Top, Top M or Mat Top. Until his death, he was Indonesia's most wanted Islamist militant.
On 24 December 2000, a series of explosions took place in Indonesia, which were part of a high-scale terrorist attack by Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah. The attack, which occurred on Christmas Eve, involved a series of coordinated bombings of churches in Jakarta and eight other cities which killed 18 people and injured many others.
Dulmatin was a senior figure in the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) based in Indonesia, and one of the most wanted terrorists in Southeast Asia. He was also known as Amar Usmanan, Joko Pitoyo, Joko Pitono, Abdul Matin, Pitono, Muktarmar, Djoko, and Noval. He also had the nickname "Genius". Dulmatin was an ethnic Javanese with a height of 172 cm, weighing 70 kg, with a brown complexion.
Umar Patek is an Indonesian convicted terrorist and member of Jemaah Islamiyah who was wanted in the United States, Australia, and Indonesia on terrorism charges. There was a US$1 million reward offered by the Rewards For Justice Program for information leading to his capture.
Terrorism in Indonesia refer to acts of terrorism that take place within Indonesia or attacks on Indonesian people or interests abroad. These acts of terrorism often target the government of Indonesia or foreigners in Indonesia, most notably Western visitors, especially those from the United States and Australia.
Asmar Latin Sani was the suicide bomber from West Sumatra who detonated the car bomb in the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing. His severed head was later found on the fifth floor of the building.
Muhammad Rais is an Indonesian convicted in May 2004 for involvement in the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing, which killed 12 people and wounded over 150. He is a member of Jemaah Islamiyah and the brother-in-law of Noordin Mohammed Top. He attended the Al-Mukmin Islamic school which was founded by Abu Bakar Bashir, and while training in Afghanistan was responsible for relaying messages between Bashir and Osama bin Laden.
Rusman Gunawan, also known as Gun Gun, is an Indonesian jailed for "facilitating and aiding terrorism". He is the younger brother of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) chief of operations, Hambali. Born in the West Java town of Cianjur, he moved to Pakistan to continue his religious studies at an Islamic school (madrassas). After graduating, he travelled to Afghanistan to train at the Al Ghuraba training camp.
The Al-Mukmin Islamic boarding school also known as Pesantren Al-Mukmin and Pondok Ngruki, is a pesantren located in Ngruki, a suburb in the regency of Sukoharjo, Central Java, Indonesia. It was founded 1972 by the alleged 'spiritual head' of Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Bakar Bashir, and by Abdullah Sungkar. Al-Mukmin's activities were initially limited to religious discussion after dhuhr. Following increasing interest, the founders expanded Al-Mukmin into a madrasah and then into a pesantren. It currently houses over 2000 students aged between 12 and 18.
Huda bin Abdul Haq was an Indonesian terrorist who was convicted and executed for his role in coordinating the Christmas Eve 2000 Indonesia bombings and 2002 Bali bombings. Mukhlas was a senior and influential Jemaah Islamiyah leader with ties to Osama bin Laden.
Abu Dujana was the military leader of Jemaah Islamiah from 2005 until June 2007 when he was arrested.
A series of bombings took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 17 July 2009. At around 07:47 until 07:57 WIB, the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, were hit by two suicide bombers. The attacks were carried out five minutes apart. Seven people were killed, including three Australians, two Dutches, an Indonesian and a New Zealander. More than 50 people were injured in the blasts. Both blasts were caused by suicide bombers, who checked into the hotels as paying guests several days earlier. The twin suicide bombings came four years after the previous serious terrorist attack in Indonesia.
On April 15, 2011, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in a mosque in a police compound in the city of Cirebon, in West Java, Indonesia. The attack occurred around 12:20 WIB (UTC+7) during Friday prayers.
Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid or Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid was a splinter cell of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and the United States. The latter is most known for perpetrating the 2002 Bali bombings along with Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top, both Malaysian terrorist kingpin.
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