Al Qaeda 'trained' Jakarta bombers
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Police say they had evidence that terrorists planning other attacks in Jakarta.
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JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The perpetrators behind the deadly car bomb attack on Jakarta's Marriott hotel received training in Pakistan and Afghanistan from al Qaeda bomb-making experts, Indonesia's defense minister has said.
Commenting on the progress of investigations into Tuesday's attack, Matori Abdul Djalil said he was convinced the al Qaeda-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) was behind the attack.
"There are many more Jemaah Islamiyah members on the loose in Indonesia," the Associated Press quoted him as saying.
"Each one of them has special abilities received from training in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Matori's comments came as the U.S. State Department warned that the terrorists behind Tuesday's attack in Jakarta may be planning further attacks against American targets in Indonesia.
The car bombing outside the U.S.-owned J.W. Marriott hotel in downtown Jakarta killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 100.
Police investigating the bombing have already said there are strong indications the attack was carried out by JI -- the same group blamed for last October's Bali nightclub bombings in which 202 people died.
JI, which has close ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, says it wants to build a pan-Islamic superstate across Southeast Asia.
In a travel warning issued Friday, the State Department urged Americans to defer all non-essential travel to Indonesia citing the risk of "additional attacks targeting U.S. interests in Indonesia, particularly U.S. government officials and facilities."
As security is increased at official U.S. facilities, terrorists will seek softer targets," the State Department said.
"These may include facilities where Americans and Westerners are known to live, congregate, shop, or visit, especially hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping centers, housing compounds, transportation systems, places of worship, schools, or outdoor recreation events."
The State Department said Tuesday's attack outside the Marriott was a reminder to U.S. citizens of "ongoing terrorist threats in Indonesia."
Throughout Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim nation -- there is a "potential for violence and terrorist actions against U.S. citizens and interests," the statement said.
It added that Americans who opted to travel or live in Indonesia "should keep a low profile, varying times and routes for all required travel, remaining acutely aware of their immediate environment."
Bomber suspect identified
On Friday Indonesian investigators said they had found the remains of a suspected JI recruit in the bomb damaged Marriott hotel.
Police said the severed head of Asmar Latin Sani was found on the fifth floor of the hotel and was identified after reconstruction by two jailed JI members.
Their investigation is now focusing on the theory that he drove the vehicle containing the bomb up to the hotel and detonated it outside the lobby.
With forensic work continuing at the site of Tuesday's bombing, Indonesian lawmakers say they are looking at ways to increase funding for police counter-terrorism efforts.
Speaking to CNN Friday, MP Jacob Tobing, a senior official with President Megawati Sukarnoputri's party said the parliamentary committee in charge of security would be asking the government for a significant budget boost.
"We will try our best to give our support to the police," he said. "They are very under funded."
"They have done a very good job," he said, referring to the arrest of more than 30 plotters suspected of involvement in the Bali bombing as well as several other leading JI members.
But, he added, "even in a country like Israel where they have one of the best intelligence services, they cannot stop bombings."
-- Jakarta-based reporter Amy Chew contributed to this report
