JI Bomb-Maker Killed

By Zachary Abuza

Indonesian police are reporting that JI's top bomb-maker and most wanted individual was killed in East Java last night. Dr. Azahari bin Hussin, the mastermind of the 2002 Bali, 2003 JW Marriott, 2004 Australian Embassy and the 2005 Bali attacks, was in a safehouse in the city of Malang when members of the elite counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, surrounded his house. Azahari apparently blew himself and two colleagues up rather than be taken alive.

He and his partner and compatriot, Noordin Mohammad Top, have been Indonesia's most wanted individuals and avoided police dragnets for over three years. Their frequent escapes have led to allegations of corruption in certain departments of Indonesia's police. Azahari had a psychotic penchant for watching his own handiwork, and slipped through a police dragnet following the 2003 bombing of the JW Marriott in Jakarta in which 15 people were killed.

Dr. Azahari, a 48-year old Malaysian , joined JI when the group was based out of southern Malaysia in the early 1990s. He had a secular upbringing and was a university lecturer at the University of Technology of Malaya. He received his education in Adelaide, Australia, the University of Technology of Malaya and completed his PhD at the University of Reading in the UK. After joining JI, he was trained by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. He left his wife at her bedside when she was undergoing treatment for throat cancer to commit his life to the jihad in Indonesia.

Indonesian police stated that he was killed as part of investigations into the 1 October 2005 triple bombings in Bali that killed over 20 people. Seven people were killed in the shootout. Police officials would not provide more details. Detachment 88 is an elite unit founded in 2002 and supported by US and Australia.

While this is a major accomplishment, and a serious blow to JI, we should not over-estimate the implications.

First, there are approximately 20 known JI leaders still at large, and an unknown number of members. Many of these leaders, including Dulmatin and Umar Patek have significant bomb-making expertise. Still at large is Noordin Mohammad Top, JI's top recruiter and money man.

Second, Dr. Azahari was a university lecturer. He enjoyed conveying information. I have have seen his bomb-making manuals and they are written in a language that is straightforward and easy enough to be understood by anyone, including people with nothing so much as a Koranic education.

Third, JI has shifted its emphasis away from large bombings of western interests and is redoubled in its efforts to provoke sectarian conflict in the outer islands. It will continue to focus on this in the coming years to build up its pool of talent.

Fourth, JI's training is still going on in the southern Philippines. Until that is stopped, we will have a terrorist problem in Southeast Asia.

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