Militants could just find new base, former rebel leader says
The former leader of an Indonesian terrorist group has warned that the crackdown on Islamist militants in Poso could merely push the suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants to a new base in the sprawling archipelago.
Jafar Umar Thalib, who once led the notorious Laskar Jihad militia, confirmed that Central Sulawesi province has been a sanctuary for al-Qaeda-linked groups, including Jemaah Islamiah - Southeast Asia's most feared terror group.
But he said the security drive in Poso, the province's main port where 16 suspected terrorists had been killed and many arrested since last month, would not curtail activities of mujahedeens in the region.
'I do not think they have much strength left,' he said, referring to the suspected militants. 'I think the security forces will finish them within six months. But the government must monitor their movements, otherwise they will be reborn elsewhere.'
Mr Jafar confirmed he had been approached by Jemaah Islamiah when Laskar Jihad was involved in the Muslim-Christian war in the Maluku Islands and Central Sulawesi during 1999-2001.