Indonesia's intelligence agency asks to deploy officials

Indonesia's intelligence agency said Thursday it wants to deploy staff at diplomatic missions after learning that terrorists allegedly received funds from the Middle East to carry out attacks in Southeast Asia. Sjamsir Siregar, chief of the Indonesian Intelligence Board, said he had requested permission to deploy agents in several embassies, including the Philippines and Thailand. The agency has also asked to place staff at missions in countries outside the region, he told reporters after a meeting with lawmakers, though he did not elaborate. The Foreign Ministry said it would wait for an official request before responding. The al-Qaida-linked terror network Jemaah Islamiyah has been blamed for a string of bombings in Indonesia, including the 2002 and 2005 blasts on the resort island of Bali that together killed 222 people, mostly foreign tourists. Police said last week that some Indonesian migrant workers returning from Saudi Arabia had smuggled tens of thousands of dollars into the country to help finance the group's activities. They said they broke the "courier network" last year after arresting an Indonesian man who allegedly received the funds, reports the AP. after learning that terrorists allegedly received funds from the Middle East to carry out attacks in Southeast Asia. Sjamsir Siregar, chief of the Indonesian Intelligence Board, said he had requested permission to deploy agents in several embassies, including the Philippines and Thailand. The agency has also asked to place staff at missions in countries outside the region, he told reporters after a meeting with lawmakers, though he did not elaborate.

The Foreign Ministry said it would wait for an official request before responding. The al-Qaida-linked terror network Jemaah Islamiyah has been blamed for a string of bombings in Indonesia, including the 2002 and 2005 blasts on the resort island of Bali that together killed 222 people, mostly foreign tourists. Police said last week that some Indonesian migrant workers returning from Saudi Arabia had smuggled tens of thousands of dollars into the country to help finance the group's activities.

They said they broke the "courier network" last year after arresting an Indonesian man who allegedly received the funds, reports the AP. I.L.