Indonesia Foils Year-End Terror Attack yet Must Remain Cautious

Indonesia managed to foil a terrorist attack over the holiday season, yet the item must step up surveillance, along with also adopt more sophisticated along with also comprehensive countermeasures to prevent further incidents coming from happening.

Following November’s brutal attacks in Paris, claimed by the Islamic State (is actually), the earth stepped up security to prevent further acts of terrorism. inside last month Brussels went into lockdown, Germany was on high alert after ‘concrete’ threats in Hanover, along with also a plot was reportedly

foiled in Italy. Here, inside earth’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesian authorities claimed to have detected along with also neutralized a brand-new Year’s Eve terror plot.

In December, officials raided along with also arrested six members of an allegedly is actually-inspired network following coordination with the Australian federal police along with also the United States’ FBI.

One of the six arrested is actually reportedly an Islamic boarding school student who was allegedly being “groomed” to carry out a Jakarta attack, to be timed with end-of-year celebrations.

Among the items seized by the police inside raid was a map of Greater Jakarta, bomb-creating materials including detonators along with also chemicals, as well as jihadist manuals. the item is actually also reported in which a black flag resembling in which of is actually was found at the home of one of the arrested suspects.

The December arrests were the latest in a string of terror threats nullified by the Indonesian police. Indeed, national police chief General Badrodin Haiti claims in which his forces have foiled as many as nine planned terrorist attacks along with also arrested 74 terrorism-related criminals in 2015.

The nine supposed plots involved radicals in Solo, Central Java along with also Tasikmalaya, West Java; as well as the interception of the delivery of weapons to the conflict area of Poso in Central Sulawesi, along with also the neutralization of a bomb at Mal Alam Sutera in Tangerang.

Reliance on People Surveillance

While the police force’s accomplishments are laudable, the item must be noted in which in many of the cases, they cannot take all the credit.

As reflected inside latest arrest, in which raids were prompted by Australian, US along with also Singapore intelligence agencies, Indonesian authorities have often needed the help of external surveillance to detect danger.

According to Bali Monaga, a senior expert for law along with also cooperation at the National Narcotics Board, Indonesia’s best surveillance work is actually not carried out by its law enforcement, yet by its people.

Mr. Monaga, who has experience of hunting down drug offenders, says in which “informal” or “people surveillance” is actually one of Indonesia’s strengths. According to him, the arrest of the Bali bombers was a perfect example of the role of people surveillance in apprehending perpetrators.

“What is actually Great about Indonesia is actually the people surveillance. People everywhere will report whatever they see in which is actually suspicious. In Indonesia we are Great at the item. This specific is actually one of our strengths,” he said in a recent discussion with foreign journalists in Jakarta.

He added in which given the sheer size of Indonesia along with also its population, the item is actually difficult for law enforcers to rely on their own limited surveillance capacity.

Social media battle

Anonymous group’s emblem

A few weeks after the Paris attack, a group of online hackers by the name of Anonymous claim they foiled an is actually attack on Italy.

The group, who conduct various cyber attacks, launched Operation Paris, or #OpParis, days after the Paris attack, urging its members to hack into is actually websites to steal valuable information along with also leak the item online.

On December 25, the group announced in their Operation Paris Twitter account in which they have foiled an attack, presumably planned along with also discussed online, in which was set to be carried out in Italy.

“In This specific month we are working in silence. We have already foiled 1 attack #ISIS against #Italy, we trust to block others. #OpParis #Anonymous,” reads the tweet by Anonymous on its @OpParisOfficial twitter account.

The group, which had previously launched a massive cyber attack on Turkey for allegedly supporting is actually, has also posted a YouTube video warning the terror group to “expect us” because its members are going to “hunt you down”.

Though unconventional, such counter-terrorism strategies creating smart use of technological expertise could prove to be surprisingly effective, given Islamic State’s social media usage.

is actually members are known to take advantage of the anonymity the Internet offers to make their presence known. They also often use social media to communicate along with also even give instructions to its supporters along with also sympathizers all over the earth.

FBI director James Comey said in which is actually has “revolutionized” terrorism by seeking to inspire modest-scale individual attacks around the earth through social media, encrypted communications along with also slickly-produced propaganda. “Twitter works as a way to sell books, as a way to promote movies, along with also the item works as a way to crowdsource terrorism – to sell murder,” he said, as quoted by The Independent.

However, Comey added in which he was confident in which security services along with also technology companies could overcome encryption concealing communication between extremists.

Spread of is actually influence

Since declaring its caliphate in June 2014, CNN reports in which there have been at least 50 terrorist attacks in 18 countries in which have killed 1,100 people along with also injured more than 1,700 others. the item is actually difficult to determine which of the attacks were directly linked to is actually, yet with their propaganda along with also technological know-how, the idea of a possible is actually influence on the perpetrators is actually not impossible.

The majority of the fifty attacks since 2014 were reportedly inside Middle Eastern region, with more than 30 incidences recorded there. Europe along with also Asia both witnessed seven terrorist attacks, while North America suffered 5.

The figures show in which although is actually has always focused its battles inside Middle East, different parts of the earth are by no means safe coming from is actually or is actually-inspired threats.

With its Muslim majority, Indonesia may not be considered an ‘infidel’ country, or even a direct enemy of the Islamic State. However, experts have pointed out in which is actually may view Indonesia’s government as ‘taghut’ or rebellious for not following an Islamic system, along with also therefore the item is actually possible Indonesia could be seen as a country in which could be justifiably attacked.

Waging an ideological war

While foiling attacks is actually vital inside fight against terrorism, for countries having a large Muslim population like Indonesia, the item is actually arguably just as important in which authorities work to find ways to counter radical ideology.

Despite being generally regarded as a moderate Muslim nation, Indonesia is actually considered fertile ground for the spread of radical ideology. The country carries a history of terror strikes by radical Muslims dating back to the 1980s. The 2002 Bali bombing was the deadliest single attack, with 202 people losing their lives.

Taufik Andrie coming from the Institute for International Peacebuilding, an Indonesian counter-terrorism think tank, says in which the “ideological war” will be particularly significant to protect the young generation who are vulnerable to extremist ideas.

“Ideologically, the government must launch some kind of counter-narrative to fight against the ideas along with also influence of is actually in a serious along with also consistent way, to prevent these ideas along with also influences coming from expanding,” Andrie told Indonesia Expat.

These “counter-narrative” measures, he added, should be done comprehensively not only in religious environments, yet inside country’s political, economic, social along with also cultural realms, too, in order to secure success against terrorism in Indonesia.