From Hambali to Asmar

MEDIA reports appearing the day after the bomb blast at the Marriott Hotel dealt a real blow to the family of Marji'a, 58. Her son, Asmar, is alleged to be the perpetrator of the sadistic incident.
Asmar is being charged not only with bombing the hotel, he is also suspected of being a member of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), an international terrorist network. His name is now linked to Mustofa, the former leader of JI for Sulawesi and the southern Philippines. Asmar too is reported to be part of the Lampung Wakalah (Chapter) and the Bengkulu Group of JI. Most likely, Asmar belongs to the same network as Hambali, a senior JI activist nabbed by the authorities in Thailand last week.

Until a fair trial is staged, nobody can confirm Asmar's role in the Marriott blast. Unfortunately, he perished in the horrific explosion and Hambali has been taken under US custody. Mere speculations will color the real story of JI for a long time to come.

Abdul Manan

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CONNECTIONS OF ASMAR LATIN SANI

Dr. AZHARI alias ADAM DULMATIN alias ASEP alias NOVEL - Asmar and Azhari have long evaded the authorities for their alleged involvement in the Bali bombing. Azhari is said to have assembled the bomb and Dulmatin the mobile phone used to detonate the bombs. The police have learnt that both at one time stayed overnight at Asmar's house.

ASMAR LATIN SANI - Suicide bomber of the JW Marriott bomb blast. Member of the Laskar Brigade Berani Mati suicide squad

SARDONA BIN AZWAR MUHAMMAD RAIS - Asmar's close friends in Padang and Bengkulu. The two have been charged with involvement in the conspiracy responsible for the bombing in Medan and Pekanbaru.

Jamaah Islamiyah in Lampung SUYONO ALIAS ABU FAROUK AL-SYUKUR former leader of Wakalah Lampung (Lampung Chapter).

MUSTOFA (Commander of JI Death Brigade). - The police arrested both men last July in Kaliabang, Bekasi. Mustofa is the alleged owner of over 2 tons of explosives material found at his rented home in Kalibanteng, Semarang. Mustofa recruited Asmar as well as Muhamad Rais and Sardono Siliwangi. The last two names have been implicated in bombing incidents in Medan and Pekanbaru. Mustofa was a former leader of Chapter III of JI encompassing Sulawesi and the southern Philippines.

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The Journey of the Clergy from Singkarak

1975: Asmar Latin Sani alias Jibril was born October 21, 1975, in Padang, West Sumatra. He was the son of Abdul Wahid alias Sutan Marajo, 60, a vegetable vendor from Bengkulu and his wife, Marji'a.

1980: Asmar's family left their home by the banks of Lake Sekarak to seek their fortune in Bengkulu.

1987: On finishing elementary school, Asmar insisted on enrolling at Pondok Pesantren Al Mukmin Ngruki, an Islamic religious boarding school in Solo, Central Java. His father had wanted him to go to junior secondary school in Bengkulu. While studying at the school, Asmar rarely returned home, even during the school holidays.

1995: After graduating from Ngruki, Asmar taught at Pesantren Al-Muttaqin in Lampung, but lasted only a few years due to uncongenial circumstances.

2000: Asmar returned to Bengkulu and helped to run his family business. For almost a year, he helped his mother sell rice at the Pasar Minggu market in Bengkulu.

2001: Asmar set up a photocopy service near the campus of Bengkulu University. In his spare time Asmar taught Qur'an reading and gave lectures on Islam to West Sumatran (Minang) community groups living in Bengkulu.

April 2003: Asmar left Bengkulu. He reportedly fled the police who had come to arrest him for giving refuge to two Bali bombing suspects, Dr. Azhari and Dulmatin. Asmar's family has denied this allegation.

August 5, 2003: The police identified Asmar as the driver of the blue Toyota Kijang bearing registration number B 7462 ZN that exploded at the front of JW Marriott Hotel in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta

Abdul Manan, Syaipul Bakhori
TEMPO, AUGUST 25, 2003-050/P. 84 Heading National