Al-Ghozi recaptured or killed before Bush’s Oct. 18 state visit?

DAVAO CITY — Fugitive terrorist Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi might be recaptured or could turn up dead before US President George W. Bush arrives for an eight-hour state visit on Oct. 18.

A highly reliable source who personally knows Al-Ghozi told The STAR officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces want the Indonesian dead.

"They do not want him alive because Al-Ghozi would tell a lot of tales and that would not be good for them," the source said.

"There are only two things, either Al-Ghozi would turn up dead or recaptured but it would be something that the Philippine government could report to redeem its anti-terrorism credentials before Bush comes to Manila," the source said.

The source said the fact-finding body headed by former justice secretary Sedfrey Ordoñez ruled out any conspiracy in the Al-Ghozi escape to "pave the way for the killing" of the Indonesian fugitive.

"But if these authorities would really want to recapture Al-Ghozi, they would easily do it," the source said. "They just do not have the will to do it because they want him dead."

However, the source said Al-Ghozi’s death or recapture would have very little impact since another Jemaah Islamiyah leader, Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali, was captured in Bangkok, Thailand last Aug. 15.

"There would be very little impact on what would eventually happen to Al-Ghozi because Hambali stole the show," the source said. "That is the problem government is facing now."

The source said Abu Sayyaf member Abdulmukim Edris, who bolted jail with Al-Ghozi last July 14, had to be killed because he knew about the "grand plan" involving the escape from Camp Crame.

"I know Al-Ghozi, he doesn’t know Metro Manila so well," the source said.

"All he knew was where he was captured in Taguig and the airport, other than that, nothing else. So, how could he want to escape when he doesn’t know anything about the layout of the police camp and the streets of Manila?"

The source said, it’s possible Al-Ghozi’s handlers are still holding him captive in Metro Manila, waiting for the right time to "recapture" him.

"And they would bring him to Mindanao to make it appear the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has something to do with it," the source said.

"I know Al-Ghozi so well. He was a committed Muslim and a very committed man to the cause he was joining. Just like other Jemaah Islamiyah members, they would rather die to protect the others working in the network, to preserve the network."

The source said the supposed breakout from the intelligence group’s jail was not Al-Ghozi’s initiative but Edris’.

"Al-Ghozi was prepared to die for what he believed in and that was the cause of the JI," the source said.

"He refused to implicate his other companions, especially the terrorist cells operating in the Philippines, so how could he suddenly want to escape?"

The source said Al-Ghozi, who held five fake passports, had lived and established a firm network of supporters in Tawi-Tawi for five years and had been given the codename "Mike" by his local cohorts.

"But Al-Ghozi would never return to Indonesia where he knows he was also wanted by the Indonesian government," the source said. "He is just here in the Philippines."

The STAR source described Al-Ghozi as very fluent in various dialects and languages — Bahasa Indonesia and Malaysia, Bisaya, Tagalog, Tausug, Japanese, English and Arabic.

"So, he doesn’t have any problem communicating with people although he has a tendency to keep a low profile and blend with the crowd," the source said.

The Indonesian was also reported to be frequently crossing the porous sea border of the Philippines with Malaysia and Indonesia, where he was involved in the transport of explosives.

PNP chief Director Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. was reportedly frequenting Central Mindanao in an effort to negotiate with a band of MILF rebels who were holding Al-Ghozi captive.

The MILF rebels were said to have raised the ante for the release of Al-Ghozi, who was serving a 17-year sentence for possession of explosives when he escaped from jail.

Al-Ghozi was also believed to be involved in the Rizal Day bombings in Metro Manila on 2000.

Edris was killed last month by soldiers in Lanao del Norte allegedly while about to guide them to Al-Ghozi’s jungle hideout.

"Let them do the talking and negotiating," The STAR source said. "Just watch carefully the events in the next few days."