The arrest of Mr. Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin, better known to the world as Hambali, is an important victory in the war against terrorism. Hambali is allegedly not only a high-ranking terrorist functionary, tied to most of the recent attacks in Southeast Asia and around the globe -- he is also a key link between regional organizations and al-Qaeda. While the capture of this man is grounds for rejoicing, this is no time to let down our guard. More attacks are likely to have already been organized and violence may even increase as terrorists go on the offensive to regain the initiative.
Hambali, an Indonesian preacher who trained to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, is thought one of the most important individuals in Asian terrorism. While training in Afghanistan, he met Osama bin Laden and his chief of operations, Khalid Sheik Mohammed. He is reputed to be the only non-Arab on al-Qaeda's military council.
After Afghanistan, he returned to Southeast Asia, where he helped establish Jemaah Islamiah (JI), traveling throughout the region to set up terrorist cells. He is alleged to have been involved in the failed 1990s plot to blow up 11 American aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, and is accused of setting up meetings that planned the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen and providing financial and logistical support for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. He has also been linked to eight other attacks in Southeast Asia since 2000, including the October 2002 Bali bombing that killed more than 200 people.