MFA Press Statement on the Request for Addition of Jemaah Islamiyah to the List of Terrorists Maintained by the UN

The Singapore Government has written today to the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) to request the addition of "The "Jemaah Islamiyah" (The network in Southeast Asia led by Abu Bakar Bashir)" to the list of terrorists maintained by the UN. The list comprises terrorists who are associated with Osama bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda organisation and the Taliban. The list is compiled and regularly updated by the 1267 Committee based on information provided by UN member states. (The current UN list can be obtained at www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/1267/1267ListEng.htm.) Terrorists in the UN list are subject to various sanctions imposed by the Security Council, including a global freeze on their assets, travel ban and arms embargo.

Several other countries will also be writing to the 1267 Committee to request the addition of the "Jemaah Islamiyah" (JI) to the UN list. These include Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States. Several other countries are also expected to request the listing of the JI soon.

A copy of the letter, which includes a paper on the JI, is attached at Annex A. If there is no objection from the members of the Security Council, the JI will be added to the UN list.

The decision by several governments to jointly request the addition of the JI to the UN list reflects the global nature of the threat posed by terrorist groups such as the JI and the resolve of the international community to cooperate in counter terrorism.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
23 OCTOBER 2002

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Annex A

23 October 2002

Chairman
Security Council Committee
established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999)

The Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations hereby informs the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) that "The "Jemaah Islamiyah" (The network in Southeast Asia led by Abu Bakar Bashir)" has been identified pursuant to resolution 1390 (2002) as being linked to the Al-Qaeda organisation.

We request that the entity be added to the 1267 Committee's consolidated list. The attached document contains additional information on the entity and the reasons behind our request for including it on the consolidated list.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

KISHORE MAHBUBANI
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS
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THE "JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH"(THE NETWORK IN SOUTHEAST ASIA LED BY ABU BAKAR BASHIR)

Background

The "Jemaah Islamiyah" (JI) is a clandestine regional terrorist organisation formed by the late Indonesian cleric Abdullah Sungkar. On his death, the leadership (amir) of the JI was assumed by another Indonesian, Abu Bakar Bashir. The JI aims to set up a pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia (the JI's conception of Daulah Islamiah) comprising the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the region of Mindanao (South Philippines) through terrorist means and revolution.

The JI organisation consists of four districts or territories (mantiqis) which are in turn made up of several branches (wakalahs). The Singapore JI is a wakalah level network under the Malaysian JI mantiqi which was headed by Hambali (a.k.a. Riduan Isamuddin) until the latter half of 2001 when he was wanted by the Malaysian authorities in connection with violence linked to the Kumpulan Militant Malaysia (KMM). The Malaysian mantiqi leadership position was then assumed by one ustaz Mukhlas.

Acts of Terrorism

The JI was responsible for a series of bombings against Christian churches in Jakarta, Medan and Batam in Dec 2000. These attacks were carried out mainly by Indonesian JI members with the assistance of certain Malaysian JI figures, including Yazid Sufaat. These attacks, which led to 17 deaths, were authorised by overall JI leader (amir) Abu Bakar Bashir and were planned and launched by the JI leader for the Malaysian network (mantiqi) called Hambali (a.k.a. Riduan Isamuddin). In Dec 2000, the JI on the direction of Hambali was also responsible for a bomb attack against a train station in Manila which killed 22 persons. The attack was carried out by JI bomb-maker, Fathur Rohman Al Ghozi (a.k.a. Mike; a.k.a. Said).

In Aug 2001, the JI was also responsible for a bomb attack against the Philippines ambassador to Indonesia. The attack in Jakarta killed 2 persons and was decided by Hambali at a meeting of a JI-led alliance of militant and terrorist groups in the region. This alliance, which was called the Rabitatul Mujahideen, was led by Hambali and its formation approved by Abu Bakar Bashir.

Association with Al-Qaeda

In Oct 2001, the JI was involved in supporting an Al-Qaeda plot to bomb the US Embassy, the British and Australian High Commissions, the Israeli Embassy, and several other foreign targets in Singapore. The plan was disrupted when Singapore authorities arrested 13 JI leaders and members of the Singapore JI network.

In Oct 2001, Al-Qaeda operative Mohamed Mansour Jabarah (a.k.a. "Sammy") (a Canadian citizen) and JI bomb-maker Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi (a.k.a. "Mike") (an Indonesian JI member based at the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's training camp called Camp Abu Bakar in Mindanao, Philippines) arrived in Singapore to plan and prepare for this terrorist operation. They were assisted by local Singaporean members of the JI operations cell called fiah musa, who conducted reconnaissance and video-tape recordings of these targets. The local JI cell was also tasked by Jabarah and Al-Ghozi to source for ammonium nitrate and for safe-houses to construct the bombs in vehicles.

The plan was to construct several truck bombs to mount simultaneous suicide attacks on the targets in Singapore. The attacks would be conducted by Al-Qaeda operatives to be brought in by "Sammy" at the time of the operation. The local JI cell was tasked to procure 17 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to make up a total of 21 tonnes needed for the operation (they already had 4 tonnes from an earlier purchase made by their JI members in Malaysia). Al-Ghozi was tasked to simultaneously source for quantities of TNT as an alternative to the ammonium nitrate. When the local JI members were arrested by Singapore authorities, they had already found a commercial vendor and were about to confirm an order for 17 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. When Al Ghozi was arrested in the Philippines in Jan 2002, he led Philippine Government authorities to recover 1.2 tonnes of TNT and large amounts of related explosive material like detonator cords destined for the Singapore terrorist plan by Al-Qaeda through Mohamed Mansour Jabarah. The TNT was part of a total estimated 6 tonnes of TNT that Al Ghozi had managed to source from an unidentified clandestine seller.

The Singapore JI was also involved in an earlier plan in 1999 and 2000 to attack a regular shuttle bus service conveying US military personnel between Sembawang Wharf and a train station (at Yishun). Two Singapore JI members were involved in conducting a detailed reconnaissance of the target. One of the JI members who was responsible for this plan briefed Al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan when he was undergoing training there. A copy of this tape was then collected and conveyed by a Malaysian JI member to Al-Qaeda leader Abu Hafs (a.k.a. Mohd Atef) in Afghanistan. (A copy of the video tape was found in the rubble of the home of Abu Hafs in Afghanistan by American forces.)