Wait a minute? Weren’t the Chechen jihadists condemned by the whole world after Beslan? Apparently not: in Indonesia, radical Muslim groups were taking notes. From The Star Online, with thanks to Nicolei:
SINGAPORE: Indonesian radical groups with links to the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network have produced VCDs and documents on how Chechen separatists make and use land mines and bombs for their cause.
This latest discovery has sparked fears among regional intelligence agencies that JI militants in Indonesia may pick up the more aggressive tactics used by the Chechen terrorists.
Regional intelligence agencies have also pursued leads that at least three JI leaders from Indonesia had travelled to Chechnya, possibly to establish links with Chechen fighters.
The terrorism material, believed to be in at least 24 VCDs titled Neraka Rusia (Russia’s Hell), surfaced at rallies and meetings in Indonesia conducted by groups such as Komite Aksi Penanggulangan Akibat Krisis (Kompak), a militia group in which many JI members are said to be involved.
Mourners paying their respects at the scene of the hostage crisis in Beslan on Sept 9. VCDs and documents used by Indonesian radical groups have sparked fears among regional intelligence agecies that JI militants may pick up the more aggressive tactics used by the Chechen terrorists.
They were also distributed at meetings involving the Majlis Mujahideen Indonesia (MMI) headed by Indonesian cleric Abubakar Ba’asyir, who is about to face terrorism charges, and Wahdah Islamiah.
Abubakar, who is now detained in Indonesia, has been accused of being involved in the direct activities of the JI while Wahdah Islamiah is a group based in Makassar, Sulawesi.
One of the VCDs had footages said to have been downloaded from websites linked to the Chechen cause, showing Chechens undergoing arms training in Afghanistan under Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda movement.
The VCDs also highlight the use of women in suicide bombings — a trademark of the Chechens but never practised by JI members in the region.