The article under review titled How ‘War on Terror’ was Fought and Won in Southeast Asia was published in Al Jazeera. This article brings the spotlight on the rise and fall of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Southeast Asia and how anti-terrorism measures in Southeast Asia were able to win the war even though US-led war on terror allies weren’t able to do so. So how did Southeast Asia win this battle against terrorism?
Southeast Asia saw great terrorist activities like Christmas Eve church bombings in Indonesia, a series of bombings in Bali, and attacks on the JW Marriott Hotel, the Philippine Stock Exchange, and across the region. A JI terrorist organization linked with al-Qaeda was responsible for these attacks and wanted an Islamic state in Indonesia and across the region. So how did they win this war? By drafting anti-terrorism legislation, officially declaring JI an illegal organization in Indonesia, executing three senior members and incarcerating the fourth senior member of JI, and then arresting the member who was providing them financial support to the JI. These counterterrorism measures broke this network. Similarly, in the upcoming years, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian governments will arrest the military operation’s spiritual head, JI. Then, with the formation of Densus 88 in 2003 and the funding and training of the US and Australia under the umbrella of national police, intelligence, and other operational skills, this unit ensured the security of Indonesia. In 2010, with the creation of Satria, this was another milestone in Indonesia’s counterterrorism agency, and then the deradicalization programs led by police were another step in ensuring the security of Indonesia. So, by all these measures, Indonesia succeeded in counterterrorism. But there are chances that JI can and will be re-active in the future when the external environment is supportive.
The writer is a student of “Strategic Studies” at the “National Defence University” and a member of PYDIR.