SBY says he was the real target for the Jakarta hotel bombings

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono has suggested to reporters that he was the target for the Jakarta hotel bombings. At a press conference a short time ago, the President held up intelligence supplied photographs of himself which he claimed had been used as target practice by hooded men.


Speaker: Sidney Jones, International Crisis Group>

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JONES: Because there was a suicide bomber apparently involved, it suggests that there's at least the strong possiblity that some of the old groups like the one around Noordin Mohammed Top could be involved, but everything is murky at the moment.

WERDEN: When you said that he suggested that he was the target of this attack, what do you mean? Was he scheduled to be at this hotel?

JONES: No but he was showing pictures at this news conference of photographs of himself that had been used as target practice.

WERDEN: And where were those photos from?

JONES: He said that they were provided by intelligence

WERDEN: Right, so they were actual physical photos or photos that were taken from a computer, the internet? Can you describe the photos for me?

JONES: They were actual photos of him and he also showed pictures of people with hoods training in what looked like a sharp shooting exercise. So, he was very adament that there was a link between what happened today and the elections. But, I think the fact that there was a suicide bombing involved makes it much more complicated because the only group thus far that has used suicide bombing systematically in Indonesia is the group around Noordin, so we don't know what's going on.

WERDEN: Right, when you talk about Noordin, are you talking about Jemmah Islamiyah?

JONES: No, because Jemmah as an organisation is not likely to have been involved in this attack. Noordin is the head of a splinter group and the people who have gathered around him are people who are shunned by the mainstream Jemmah Islamiyah organisation.

WERDEN: Because they are more radical?

JONES: YES

WERDEN: OK, well, we have just heard that the English soccer team Manchester United were supposed to be in this Hotel on Sunday as part of their Asian leg training, and they have obviously cancelled the Indonesian leg of their tour, but do you think it could have been meant for that group?

JONES: Unlikely, but it's difficult to know. Usually such attacks take a long time to plan, and it's difficult to target them on specific dates. So, I would say it was unlikely to be related, but you can't rule anything out at this stage.

WERDEN: And Sidney, finally, I'm trying to get my head around what you are saying, if he's saying he's supposed to be the target of this attack, why would they bomb the Marriot or the Ritz Carlton, was he supposed to be there?

JONES: No, there was no indication that he was supposed to be there, but maybe to undermine security in Jakarta, just after he was re-elected, but it's not at all clear how parts of the information available link up and I think it's going to take some days to sort out.

WERDEN: This would be a first for an Indonesian President to come out and say that he was the target? What's the thinking behind that?

JONES: The first time that pictures of the President had been used as target practice, there was the training of a Jihadi group called Kompak in 2005 where pictures of the President were used as target practice. So, there's not necessarily a disconnect between the use of such pictures and involvement of a Jihadi group. What would be new is if this were a completely political group without a Jihadi component and again we'll have too wait and see what develops.