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Australia quiet on report of local Jemaah cell
Canberra, June 01: The Australian government said today it was closely tracking local links to the radical Jemaah Islamiah group but refused to comment on reports that a cell of the Southeast Asian network was found in a Sydney flat.
Canberra, June 01: The Australian government said today it
was closely tracking local links to the radical Jemaah Islamiah
group but refused to comment on reports that a cell of the Southeast
Asian network was found in a Sydney flat.
The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that a flat in the
beach suburb of Dee Why had recently served as a Sydney base for the
group, blamed for last year`s Bali bombings which killed over 200
people, including about 90 Australians.
Attorney-General Daryl Williams refused to confirm or deny the
report, but stressed that authorities in Australia had been
investigating the banned group for the past 18 months.
``Anybody who has any association with it will be likely to come to the attention of the security agencies,`` Williams said.
The Australian, quoting unnamed intelligence sources, said the discovery of the base and reports the group held a meeting of its four regional divisions in April signalled the radical network was regrouping and almost certainly planning new attacks.
A shadowy group seeking an Islamic ``super state`` in Southeast Asia, Jemaah Islamiah is believed to be linked with Osama bin Laden`s Al Qaeda network which the United States blames for the september 11, 2001, airliner attacks in New York and Washington.
Williams, asked about the group`s presence in Australia, said the Government never revealed details of security matters.
``All I can say is that the Jemaah Islamic is the subject of a very intensive investigation,`` he said.
``ji -- I think it is accepted -- isn`t dead and buried.``
Bureau Report
``Anybody who has any association with it will be likely to come to the attention of the security agencies,`` Williams said.
The Australian, quoting unnamed intelligence sources, said the discovery of the base and reports the group held a meeting of its four regional divisions in April signalled the radical network was regrouping and almost certainly planning new attacks.
A shadowy group seeking an Islamic ``super state`` in Southeast Asia, Jemaah Islamiah is believed to be linked with Osama bin Laden`s Al Qaeda network which the United States blames for the september 11, 2001, airliner attacks in New York and Washington.
Williams, asked about the group`s presence in Australia, said the Government never revealed details of security matters.
``All I can say is that the Jemaah Islamic is the subject of a very intensive investigation,`` he said.
``ji -- I think it is accepted -- isn`t dead and buried.``
Bureau Report