Indonesia: Terrorism - The Breaking News

The former Air Force officer named a suspect in the Bali bombing was discharged from the service around two years ago for drug abuse, a source told The Jakarta Post newspaper Wednesday. The man, identified as Dedi Masrukhin, was an expert in explosives, the source added.

Coordinating Minister for Defense and Security Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono claimed in Jakarta on Wednesday, "as an organization, Jemaah Islamiyah doesn't exist in Indonesia."

But, it did exist in Singapore and Malaysia and Indonesian citizens, including Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, "were the former leaders," he was quoted by AP as saying.

Abu Bakar was scheduled to submit himself to police questioning on Wednesday and Thursday at his own initiative, to press a libel suit against Time magazine over an article that implicated him in terrorist activities. There was no indication whether he would respond to questions about the Bali bombings. Police didn't confirm widespread rumors that he would be arrested.

However, Susilo said the government would prosecute alleged local leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah if there was evidence they were engaged in international terrorism. Neighboring countries say Jemaah Islamiyah is a regional terror network with links to al-Qaeda. Many of its alleged members are in detention in Singapore on suspicion of plotting a bombing campaign against U.S. targets.

Abu Bakar, who spent three years in Malaysia and Singapore in the 1980s, has been named by Singapore as the spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah.

Henri Marconi PRAVDA.Ru Sydney Australia

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