The arrest of Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali, in Ayutthaya, a tourist resort in Thailand came as a respite to the terror-ridden region of Southeast Asia. Wanted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines in connection with a series of bombings and attempted terror attacks, this Jemiah Islamiah (JI) Operations Chief is suspected to be the mastermind behind spectacular terror attacks like the Oct 12, 2002 Bali bombings; this killed more than 200 people and left hundreds injured, as also the recent August 6, 2003 JW Marriott Hotel bombing that claimed 12 lives.

This Al-Qaeda pointsman for Southeast Asia was on the run since the Bali bombings, which is regarded as the bloodiest terror attack faced by the Southeast Asian region and the second most serious terrorist attacks in the world after the September 11 strikes against New York and Washington in 2001. The Bali bombings put Southeast Asia under scrutiny as a potential theatre of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism. This view gained credence with the increase in the activities of radical Islamic groups like the Jemiah Islamiah in Indonesia, Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Philippines. Secessionist movements like the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) exacerbated the security threats faced by the nations in this region. The US attack on Iraq and the developments in the Middle East provided further impetus to these disgruntled Islamic groups, many of whom received the covert and overt support of Al-Qaeda. Jemiah Islamiah is the foremost among them. Reining in this group has been the biggest security challenge facing Indonesia in particular and the region as a whole. With the arrest of two of its top men, Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, JI’s spiritual leader and now, Hambali, JI’s operation chief, things are looking up. Hambali’s arrest is a great morale booster to the intelligence and security agencies that have been working round the clock to achieve this breakthrough. Hambali’s arrest, despite his mastery in disguise, goes to prove the urgency for tracking the JI members and capturing them.

While Hambali’s arrest is of immense significance to Southeast Asia’s war on terror, it cannot be considered to mean the end of terrorism.  In the short run, it might provide some respite from terrorist attacks that have been excoriating the region at regular intervals. But the future portends danger with Hambali himself stating that his arrest will not prevent JI from carrying out its terror missions as the line of succession was decided well in advance to avoid any hiatus in the organizational activities due to leadership vacuum. JI’s past performance reveals this aspect. Barely three months after Omar al-Faruq, Hambali’s predecessor’s arrest, the Bali bombings took place. This emphasizes the JI’s well established hierarchy and its ability to bounce back soon after a crushing blow like Hambali’s arrest, which compels security agencies to remain in a state of red alert and leaves no scope for complacency. With the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting scheduled a few months away, in October 2003, there is sufficient reason to believe that the threat of terror in the region is real and imminent. The fact that, at the time of Hambali’s arrest, he had upon him 1.3 million baht in cash and a current account balance of US$130,000 is revealing of the large scale recruitment JI is currently carrying out to infuse fresh blood into the organization and replenish their suicide squads. 

During interrogation Hambali accepted that he was on a recruitment drive for which funding was provided by various Islamic militant outfits, the chief being, Al-Qaeda. He also revealed the name of Azahari bin Husin, a Malaysian geophysics professor trained by the Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, as his successor. It is worth noting that Azahari is a charismatic person with commendable mobilizing skills to invigorate JI’s recruitment drive. He is JI’s foremost bomb expert also, credited with scripting the JI manual on bomb building. The explosives used during the Bali bombings, which were responsible for a huge toll of lives, is said to be the handiwork of Azahari. He is presently at large, with a huge possession of explosives designed for use in attacks on Western embassies, soft targets and the October 2003 APEC meeting. Another top JI leader, Zulkifli Marzuki, who is alleged to be the organization’s financial mastermind and a key link to al-Qaeda, is also said to be working tirelessly to mobilize funds for fresh recruitments. With porous borders enabling free and undetected movement for JI members among the Southeast Asian nations, strict vigil and cooperation among the various security and intelligence agencies within and outside the region will be the best combat strategy.