‘ADMs,’ Rigby commenced, then hesitated, his intelligence world pebbled with acronyms. Acknowledging the attendance of a Cabinet member, Rigby accepted he would have to be more expansive in his delivery. ‘That is, Atomic Demolition Munitions are significantly dangerous due to their mobility. An ADM can be transported and detonated by a single individual. The result of a one-kiloton detonation could claim anything from 50,000 to 100,000 lives. Physically, the weapon is about the same size as a suitcase, doesn’t require launch codes and can be prepared in less than half an hour.’ He looked directly at the ASIS Deputy Director, Andrew Grey. ‘The Chechen rebels could place one under Boris Yeltsin’s bed and none would be the wiser.’
He knew that, without exception, Western intelligence agencies attributed the disappearance of the nuclear stockpiles to the inept guardianship of the hard-drinking Russian president. He also knew that ASIS’ Moscow bureau had reported the local American agents’ deep concern about the thriving black market — especially in transportable ADMs — and that, with the Chechen war entering its second year, Russia’s mountainous borders offered a near-fail-safe exit for these ADMs to arms dealers and fanatical fringe groups. But he doubted that S.E. Asia should be a major concern.
‘The question is whether any of the separatists operating in the Philippines and Indonesia have access or the financial backing and infrastructure to successfully initiate such an attack?’ said Grey. He paused, cast his eyes around casually, then added, ‘and our own analysts concur that those specific groups just don’t have those resources.’
As the ASIS deputy director droned on, Peter Rigby remembered another report which had passed through his domain days before, the information contained in the US-shared information brief providing credence to intelligence claiming Osama bin Laden had recently visited Chechnya. An informant in Grozny had suggested that the purpose of bin Laden’s visit was to consolidate his relationship with a prominent fundamentalist Muslim leader known as ‘Hattab’, a one-eyed Jordanian who had fought alongside bin Laden in Afghanistan before moving on to Chechnya.
‘We might wish to consider Afghanistan as a potential depot?’ Rigby suggested when Grey fell quiet. ‘There’s tracking evidence of movement from Malaysia that confirms a growing number of Islamic dissidents from Indonesia and the Philippines are attending military training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan.’
‘There is no intelligence to support that these are not more than simple dissidents escaping local regimes,’ Andrew Grey waved a hand in the air, unaware of the fallout from the Doña Josefa Apartments’ fire. The ASIS head of station in Manila had read the newspaper reports of the fire and, not privy to the report filed by the Philippine authorities with the Americans, summarily dismissed the incident. ‘There has been no significant growth in militant Islamic movements in S.E. Asia that should be of concern to Australia.’ The deputy director’s face stretched into a knowing smile. He supported the pro-Jakarta lobby within the Defence Intelligence Organization. The DIO and ONA both came under considerable pressure from the Defence Department to produce pro-Indonesian assessments and tone down criticism of the Republic. ‘Suharto and the other Asian heads of state have seen to that.’
With the exception of Peter Rigby, concurring heads nodded in assent as the first briefing for the New Year came to a close.
Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur
Hambali’s face remained crumpled with concern. The Indonesian cleric ceased pacing and turned to the al-Qaeda envoy. ‘In view of these developments we must consider closing the company down.’
Wali Khan Amin Shah cast fiery eyes over The Manila Times’ ominous headlines that signaled disaster for their cause. ‘Operation Bojinka’s’ potential to wreak havoc on the United States and its allies had been eclipsed by a Philippine crackdown bringing swift retribution to those involved.
Hambali could not contain his anger and disappointment, moving around the sparsely furnished surroundings, shaking his head in exasperation. ‘We were so close…’ He left the words hanging, flopped into a cushioned rattan chair and looked questioningly at his associate, seeking his concurrence to close down the umbrel a company, Konsojaya Sdn Bhd which they had established only the year before.
Collectively, Konsojaya and its counterpart conspirators had developed the plan codenamed ‘Operation Bojinka’. Now, with the operation revealed and the Manila cells disrupted, Hambali knew that it would be only a matter of time before the international intelligent agencies would come after him, threatening disclosure of the newly created Jemaah Islamiyah cells in the region.
* * * *
The events of the past twenty-four hours had all but destroyed what would have been Hambali, Ramli Yousef and Osama’s finest hour – the Bojinka plan.
Hambali considered the consequences of abandoning the corporate structure Konsojaya Sdn Bhd and whether existing linkages might lead the authorities to their door. He frowned. It was crucial that the trail end there, in Kuala Lumpur, and that no connection be established between the front organization and their covert activities elsewhere.
Although the Bojinka disaster in Manila represented a major setback in their timetable, Hambali remained determined that, one way or another, his network would be restored and expanded until it had delivered the nearly half a billion ASEAN population to the Jemaah Islamiyah, at whatever the cost. He turned to Wali Khan Amin Shah. ‘We must close the company down – then wait. It would not be wise for you to come here again. Until we know the extent of the investigation we should not communicate. I will wait for when you send word from the ‘Sheikh’. Do not lose heart – time will repair what has been done. The Americans and their allies will pay – that, I promise as surely as Allah is the one and only true God.’
Jakarta –The Thousand Islands
Andrew Graham followed Agus Sumarsono forward of the engine room on the lower deck into the owner’s stateroom, quietly envious of the entrepreneur’s twenty-five metre, Italian built Tecnomarine 80 series executive launch.
‘This is Anita,’ Agus smiled at a bikini-clad beauty adorning one of the two settees watching a video. The stunning Mena-donese girl smiled coyly and waved. ‘She brought a few friends,’ Agus added, ‘you’ll find them down the passageway.’
Andrew mentally inventoried the cabin’s layout and lavish furnishings. ‘You might have difficulty convincing me to leave when we return.’
‘The ship’s only recently been refurbished,’ Agus proudly explained, ‘there are five guest cabins, all with private en suite facilities and spa.’ He was enjoying the moment. ‘Even the four-man-crew’s quarters below deck are air-conditioned.’ Andrew had already met the expatriate captain when he boarded. ‘How often do you get to take it out?’ he asked.
Agus shrugged. ‘Whenever the opportunity arises,’ he answered, not evasively. ‘Come, let’s go up top and enjoy the view.’
Andrew filled his lungs with sea air, leaned forward and gripped the railing, scanning the line of scattered islands reaching out to the horizon. He had frequented the tropical setting on many an occasion over the years, mooring his ageing Grand Banks cruiser off one of the virgin, uninhabited islands and spending the weekend diving amongst the multicolored corals.
As powerful twin-engine 750 horsepower GM diesels drove them deeper into the one-hundred-and-twenty-island clus-ter away from the more popular day-tripper resorts of Pulau Ayer and Bidadari, Andrew relaxed, the pressures of Jakarta life dissipating as the capital’s skyscrapers slipped from view. He turned to his host. ‘Where are we headed?’
