1. terror suspects arrested in Malaysia linked to patsy underpants, according to unnamed foreign anti-terrorism agencies
Terrorism suspects from Jordan, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen have been detained in Malaysia, activists say as a report linked them to the Nigerian behind the botched Christmas plane bombing….“It was learnt that foreign anti-terrorism agencies informed Malaysian authorities that the 10 were linked to Abdulmutallab and that they were in Malaysia,” said the daily on Thursday, which did not cite any sources for its report.
…Malaysia’s controversial ISA has been used in the past against alleged militants, including members of Southeast Asian extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah, which is linked to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network. One JI member released in 2008 is accused of hosting a planning meeting ahead of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Analysts say that other militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda have used Kuala Lumpur for meetings and logistics.
2. GMI claims 14, not 10, held under ISA
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — The Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) today claimed that 14 people, including a Malaysian, were being held under the recent Internal Security Act (ISA) swoop, as opposed to the 10 announced by the Home Ministry yesterday.
It identified nine of the detainees as Azzahari Murad (Malaysia); Aiman Al Dakkak (Syria); Mohamed Hozifa (Syria); Kutiba Al-Issa (Syria); Khalid Salem (Yemen); Luqman Abdul Salam (Nigeria); Hassan Barudi (Syria); Hussam Khalid (Jordan); and Abdul Alhi Bolajoko Uthman (Nigeria).
It has yet to determine the identities of the remaining three while another two were detained earlier. GMI said the 14 were part of 50 detained in a security operation in Sungai Cincin, Gombak near here, GMI chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh disclosed today. Syed Ibrahim told reporters that all 50 were picked up on Jan 21, after having stayed there since 2003. “So they are not foreigners who have just arrived here,” he said, disputing Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s statement that those detained had just come to Malaysia and were part of an international terror ring.
Syed Ibrahim disclosed that of the 50 picked up, all but 12 were released at 3am the next day. “From the 12, GMI obtained nine names and we are trying to establish the [identities of the] other three and two more we just found out today,” he added. He said the latter two were identified as Abdullah Ahmad Alsehine (Saudi Arabia) who was detained on Jan 17, and Ibrahim (Nigeria) who was initially detained on Jan 21.“Ibrahim has yet to be detected with the other four until now,” he added. Syed Ibrahim also said information from the Saudi Arabian embassy showed that Abdullah was still in the country.
A witness to the security operation, Muhammad Yunus Zainal Abidin, 25, who was also at today’s press conference, recounted how armed policemen had burst into the house at about 9.30pm that night, disrupting the study session led by Aiman. “They said: ‘Ini operasi keselamatan dalam negeri’ (this is a home affairs security operation),” Yunus told reporters. It is understood that this is the first time that a large number of foreign students have been detained under the ISA since the Sept 11 attacks in the United States.
“Using the ISA to get forced confessions and creating a plot without proof is unfair. “ISA is the easiest tool to shift international pressure by making foreign nationals, in this case [from] the Middle East, as the scapegoats,” he added. “GMI believes that the new detentions may have been initiated in response to international pressure on terrorist threats in Malaysia,” said Syed Ibrahim.
“It might be related to the US travel advisory two weeks ago about criminals and terrorists targeting foreigners in east Sabah or to what is happening in the US and UK,” he said. “But nothing can be confirmed,” he said, and added that he will raise the issue directly with Hishammuddin this afternoon at the government briefing on itst plans to revamp the ISA. Syed Ibrahim added that the latest developments showed double standards by the government, which has promised to reform the ISA. The ISA is a preventive security law that allows for detention without trial.
Media reports today said that those detained were linked to the Nigerian underwear bomber who tried to detonate explosives aboard a US-bound flight last Christmas Day.
3. some Malaysians believe their government is behind the civil unrest
Doc: Why do I believe it was Umno? Because:
(i) The Herald case failed to galvanise Malay support and backfired on them terribly, serving only to alienate them further from Malays. They needed to try something, anything, to regain popularity among the masses;
(ii) Placing boars’ head in mosques is not a good idea because things may really get out of hand (few dare to do this);
(iii) Exploiting racial and religions issues is a trademark of Umno;
(iv) Inspector-general of police Musa Hassan was at the scene of the incident as soon as it happened. Musa’s response is usually rapid in matters concerning Umno’s interests;
(v) These are desperate times for Umno and desperate measures are needed to regain lost support.
Christopher: So Umno has done what they know best when under siege - create public chaos. I suspect that they are planning something big, like declaring emergency rule or embarking on mass arrests under the Internal Security Act.
Watchman: Umno stands to gain if there is any racial disturbance. It tried to rile up the Christians with their church burnings and other minor acts of destruction. They are cunning enough not to create too much damage or stay too long as to get caught. It didn’t work. The Christians didn’t bite.
Umno tried the same tactics on the Sikhs. They also didn’t bite. Now Umno is trying it on the Muslims. Right-thinking Muslims will also not bite, despite prodding from Umno and Jakim (Islamic Development Department ).
Pak Ubu: Only an idiot would believe that these provocative acts are spontaneous and not part of Umno’s desperate plan to trigger racial-religious violence in the streets, which would give them an excuse to declare a national emergency and impose martial law.
…Malaysian for Malaysia: This is more likely the work agent provocateurs trying to instigate Muslims into retaliating violently. Non-Muslims in Malaysia aren’t so stupid or suicidal as to start an outright religious clash with Muslims who make up 70 percent of the population in Peninsular Malaysia.
Someone is trying to instigate Muslims, and this does not bode well. What are the police doing? Sitting on their hands when not harassing opposition ceramahs?
