http://www.smh.com.au/news/Global-Terrorism/Hand-grenade-found-at-Jakarta-Hilton/2004/12/20/1103391703320.html?oneclick=true
Hand grenade found at Jakarta Hilton December 21, 2004 Fresh security concerns swept Jakarta when an old and rusty hand grenade was found hidden in a tin can beside the Hilton Hotel just days after Australia warned of a possible terror attack on the complex. The grenade, which was taken away by bomb squad officers, was found half buried by a gardener early yesterday morning as he uprooted plants around the heavily-guarded hotel grounds. Emeraldo Parengkuan, public relations director at the Hilton, said the grenade was inside a tin alongside the hotel fence, in the grounds of the adjacent Jakarta sports stadium. It was found just days after Australian intelligence intercepts pointed to a possible attack on a major international hotel - possibly one of three Hiltons in Indonesia - during the Christmas and New Year period. "Since the warning we have very strong security in place, and all our staff were warned to look out for anything suspicious," Parengkuan told AAP. "The cleaner found an object around 7am and we had many police here to investigate. It just shows that the security we had in place worked." A Jakarta police spokesman said the device was an old World War II-style pineapple grenade and bomb squad officers had been called to take it away. "It was an old grenade, all rusty ... it was already inactive," national police spokesman Paiman said. Dozens of police had already been on duty at the Hilton, including members of the elite detachment 88 anti-terrorist squad, while bomb squad officers were rushed to the hotel after the grenade was uncovered, he said. Indonesia has suffered a series of deadly explosions blamed on Islamic extremists over the past few years, culminating in the September 9 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta, which killed nine people and the bomber. The masterminds of that attack and the 2002 Bali bombings - Malaysian bomb technician Azahari Husin and Jemaah Islamiah top recruiter Noordin Top - are still on the run despite a massive manhunt across Indonesia. Police fear the pair may be planning to repeat a wave of church bombings on Christmas Eve 2000, which left 19 dead. Officers found several makeshift explosives on a bus last week but said a different group was responsible. The hand grenade was found in a small patch of garden next to the back exit gate of the sprawling hotel complex in the heart of the city, a police official said. An Australian embassy spokeswoman said the find would not alter Australia's already tough travel warnings about Indonesia, which advised travellers to stay clear of the country. She said the current warning about Christmas attacks, matched by Britain, New Zealand and Japan, remained valid. US State Department warnings also advise Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Indonesia, saying "the terrorist threat continues and may increase over the December-January holiday period". Police have deployed an additional 18,400 personnel for Christmas and New Year to protect churches and entertainment centres. Parengkuan said the hotel had not had a mass exodus of guests but that some groups had cancelled functions because of the threat. AAP/AFP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.uni.cc *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; 4. Posting: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 6. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 7. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
