AUGUST 2009 Table of contents Transnational terrorism 2 Profi le: The Jakarta attacks 3 Worldwide terrorist activity 4 Africa Americas Asia Europe Middle East and North Africa In-depth 8 Coming up 9 A forensic investigator examines debris inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel INDONESIA A suspected suicide bomber early on 17 July detonated his explosives near the Lobby Lounge restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the capital Jakarta. A second explosion occurred at the JW Marriott (which suffered an attack in 2003) and is also thought to have been perpetrated by a suicide bomber. A third bomber also reportedly checked into the JW For more information about Hiscox or Control Marriott with the two known attackers; police subsequently defused another Risks, please contact: bomb at the hotel. Retribution for the execution last year of three men Stephen Ashwell accused of involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings was a potential motive. Tel: 020 7448 6725 1 Great St Helen’s, London EC3A 6HX The attacks bore the hallmarks of fringe extremist elements within regional
[email protected] extremist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which have continued to promote www.hiscox.com violent jihad even though JI as a whole has sought to move towards the political mainstream since the last large-scale attacks in Indonesia in 2005. Peter Simpson Veteran bomb-maker Noordin Top – one of South-east Asia’s most wanted Tel: 020 7970 2373 terrorists – has been identifi ed as a likely leader. The attacks all but confi rm Cottons Centre, Cottons Lane, fears that radical JI factions are still highly active and may have revived London SE1 2QG funding and resource networks that counter-terrorism operations in recent
[email protected] years are thought to have heavily disrupted.