International Crisis Group (ICG) senior advisor Sidney Jones says Umar Patek, a terrorism suspect allegedly arrested in Pakistan earlier this month, would be an information goldmine on terrorism networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia.
“So the news of Umar Patek being caught is very good to hear,” Sidney said Wednesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
Patek allegedly masterminded the 2002 Bali bombing and is also wanted by the government of the United States, among others.
Jones said Umar could have escaped from Indonesia in 2003 with the aid of another suspect, Abdullah Sonata, and Kompak, an organization he chaired. Umar had joined the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at one period, she said.
Sidney added that the MILF then ousted him in 2005 and Patek had joined a group led by militant Abu Sayaf. Patek, also known as “Abdul Ghoni”, “Abu Syeikh” and “Umar Arab”, is said to have obtained skills in weaponry and bomb assembling in Afghanistan.
“However, we have not known what Umar Patek has been up to during the last two to three years,” Jones said.
A lot of information on Patek has yet to see the light, she said. “For example whether he joined Dulmatin when Dulmatin returned to Indonesia, and on the relationship between the Indonesian and Mindanao radical Islam network.”
Dulmatin was another suspect who was gunned down during a raid by the Indonesian police.
Sidney said the Philippines government would also request that Patek be brought to court there.
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