2009 Jakarta bombings
A terrorist bombing took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 17 July 2009. At around 07:47 until 07:57 WIB (00:47-00:57 UTC),[4] the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, were hit by separate bombings five minutes apart.[2][5] Nine people were killed, of whom three were Indonesian, three were Australians, two were from The Netherlands, and one was from New Zealand.[2] More than 50 people were injured in the blasts.[6][7] Both blasts were caused by suicide bombers, who checked into the hotels as paying guests several days earlier.[8] The twin suicide bombings came four years after the previous serious terrorist attack in Indonesia.[9]
2009 Jakarta bombings | |
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Part of Terrorism in Indonesia | |
JW Marriott Ritz Carlton 2009 Jakarta bombings (Jakarta) | |
Location | Jakarta, Indonesia |
Coordinates | 6.225758°S 106.827139°E 6.230448°S 106.825925°E |
Date | 17 July 2009 07:47–07:57 WIB. (UTC+07) |
Attack type | Suicide bombing[1] |
Deaths | 7 plus 2 suicide bombers[2] |
Injured | 53[3] |
Background
Since the 2002 Bali bombings, in which 202 were killed, Indonesia had stepped up attempts to crack down on terrorism. An anti-terrorism law was confirmed by the Indonesian legislature in 2003.[10] The 2002 attack was carried out by Jemaah Islamiyah, a group previously linked to al-Qaeda and later to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and seeking to unite Indonesia, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines as an Islamic state.[11][12]
The Marriott had previously been the target of a suicide bombing in 2003.[13]
The attacks
The Marriott bombing occurred first and was followed five minutes later by the Ritz bombing.[5] Police moved to seal off the surrounding area.[5] At noon local time, an unexploded bomb was found in room 1808 of the Marriott, together with bomb-making equipment.[14][15][16]
The Ritz-Carlton explosion is thought to have originated in the Airlangga Restaurant on the second story,[5] where people were eating breakfast.[2] There was said to be glass everywhere.[5] A part of the facade of the Ritz Carlton was blown away by the blast and windows had been blown out.
The Marriott bombing occurred during one of a series of periodic breakfast meetings of CEOs and other prominent (and predominantly expatriate) members of the Jakarta business community hosted by James Castle, president of AmCham Indonesia, a branch of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta.[4][17] The Marriott bomb was detonated in a small breakfast room rented for the event, and not in the main restaurant.[17] One witness said the lobby of the neighboring Plaza Mutiara building was destroyed in the explosion.[5]
The unexploded bomb in room 1808 of the JW Marriott hotel was programmed to go off prior to the other bomb there, but its timer malfunctioned. The Indonesian police believe the bomb was intended to create an atmosphere of panic, causing guests to flee their rooms to exit the hotel, and generating a significant crowd in the lobby. Had this occurred as planned, the lobby bomb may have taken a much greater toll.[18]
Casualties
Country | Number |
---|---|
Indonesia | 3 |
Australia | 3 |
Netherlands | 2 |
New Zealand | 1 |
Total | 9 |
There were nine fatalities;[2] three Australians, one New Zealander, two Dutch tourists, and three Indonesians (including two suicide bombers).[19] The Australians killed were Austrade official Craig Senger, mining executive Garth McEvoy and Perth businessman Nathan Verity.[20] New Zealander Tim Mackay died; he was president and director of PT Holcim Indonesia and a master mariner.[21] Indonesians killed included Evert Mokodompis, a waiter at the JW Marriott Hotel.[22]
Sixteen foreigners were treated at Metropolitan Medical Center (MMC) hospital.[23] A New Zealander, a Canadian, an Indian and 3 Dutch men were reported injured.[24][25]
Investigation
Police believe planning for the bombings was led by Noordin Mohammad Top, who also involved in the 2005 Palu market bombing. The first meeting had been held on 30 April. Ibrohim, a florist who worked for a florist company which had stores in both the bombed hotels, was another key organiser. Ibrohim was recruited in 2000 by Saifudin Jaelani, his brother-in-law, while he was working as a florist at the Hotel Mulia in Jakarta. In 2005, Ibrohim and Jaelani were inaugurated as members of Noordin's special forces. Ibrohim set strategies, conducted surveys of the locations and smuggled the bombs into the hotels. Saifudin Jaelani is believed to have also recruited the suicide bombers for the operation.
The bombs were smuggled into the JW Marriott one day before the blast through the hotel's loading dock using a pick-up truck rented by Ibrohim. The bomb design and materials of an unexploded bomb found by Police in room 1808 were identical to those used by Jemaah Islamiyah in previous attacks.[26]
The suicide bomber of the JW Marriott Hotel was Dani Dwi Permana, an 18-year-old graduate of a private senior high school in Bogor, West Java. The suicide bomber of the Ritz-Carlton hotel was Nana Ikhwan Maulana, a 28-year-old former resident of Pandeglang, Banten. Dani rented room 1808 in the JW Marriott. The room was paid for by Amir Abdillah, who was arrested on 5 August.
On 7 August, police raided a house in Temanggung, Central Java. Three people were arrested and one person was killed, later identified to be Ibrohim. On 8 August, police raided a house in Bekasi, West Java, killing two people believed to be preparing to attack the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with a truck bomb near his private residence in Bogor, West Java.
Funding for the bombings is believed to have been provided from the Middle East. A number of suspects, including a Saudi Arabian national, have been arrested by Indonesian police for their involvement in handling the funds.
Aftermath
The bombings were deplored by numerous governments—in Indonesia, elsewhere in the region, and around the world.[2][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] United States president Barack Obama, who spent a portion of his childhood in Jakarta, said, "I strongly condemn the attacks that occurred this morning in Jakarta, and extend my deepest condolences to all of the victims and their loved ones. The US government stands ready to help the Indonesian government respond to and recover from these outrageous attacks as a friend and partner."[34]
Manchester United, which had been scheduled to play an exhibition football match in Jakarta on 20 July 2009 and had booked rooms at the Ritz Carlton, cancelled the Jakarta leg of its tour.[5][13]
Reopening
The hotel was closed for 2 weeks and reopened to the public on Monday, 3 August 2009 at 10:00 WIB. The 17th United States Ambassador to Indonesia's Cameron R. Hume attended the reopening of Hotel J.W. Marriott and Ritz Carlton on Wednesday, 29 July 2009 in Jakarta. The ambassador visited both hotels.
References
- Ledakan di Jakarta Dipastikan Bom Bunuh Diri. Antara News. (in Indonesian). July 17, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-22. Archived 2009-07-29.
- "Unexploded bomb found after Jakarta hotel bombings kill at least 9". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-07-17. Archived from the original on 2009-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Polisi Rilis Data Korban Tewas 9 Orang, Luka 53. (in Indonesian). July 18, 2009. Accessed 2009-07-22. Archived 2009-07-29.
- Wright, Tom (17 July 2009). "Suicide Bombers Blamed for Deadly Jakarta Blasts". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- McManus, Gerard (2009-07-17). "Three Australians feared dead in Jakarta bombings". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Onishi, Norimitsu; McDonald, Mark (17 July 2009). "Explosions at 2 Hotels in Indonesia Kill at Least 8". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- Onishi, Norimitsu; McDonald, Mark (2009-07-17). "Explosions at 2 Hotels in Indonesia Kill at Least 6". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Webb, Sara; Nathalia, Telly (2009-07-17). "How the guests in hotel room 1808 may have struck". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Firdaus, Irwan (2009-07-21). "1st funeral held for Jakarta bomb victims". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- Ramraj; Hor; Roach, eds. (2005). Global Anti-Terrorism Law and Policy. Cambridge University Press. p. 295. ISBN 0-521-85125-4.
- "Terrorism Havens: Indonesia". Council on Foreign Relations. December 2005. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- Onishi, Norimitsu (17 July 2009). "Militants Eyed in Indonesian Bombings". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- Bell, Thomas (July 17, 2009). "TelegraphIndonesiaBombings". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Aristo, Mario (2009-07-17). "Gegana Temukan 1 Bom lagi yang Siap Meledak". Media Indonesia (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- "Ditemukan Bom Lain di JW Marriott". Kompas (in Indonesian). 2009-07-17. Archived from the original on 2009-07-19. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Fitzpatrick, Stephen (2007-07-17). "Jakarta police find bomb control centre in Marriott hotel". The Australian. Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- Wright, Tom (19 July 2009). "Fears Climb in Jakarta Over Target of Attacks". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- Barta, Patrick; Carder, Reuben (27 July 2009). "Police Say Bombers Sought Higher Toll". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- "Police release portraits of suspected hotel bombers". France 24. AFP. 2009-07-22. Archived from the original on 2009-07-25. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- "Indonesian police examine remains for clues". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-07-18. Archived from the original on 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
- "StuffKiwi". "Stuff.co.nz". 2009-07-17. Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Murdoch, Lindsay (2009-07-21). "Hours before becoming a father: blast that destroyed a family". smh.com.au. Archived from the original on 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- "Inilah Nama 16 WNA Korban Bom". Kompas. 2009-07-17. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Barrera, Jorge (2009-07-18). "Canadian badly burned in Indonesia bomb blast". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2009. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- 3 Dutch citizens injured Archived 2009-07-21 at the Wayback Machine. The Straits Times. July 17, 2009
- Moestafa, Berni; Djanuarto, Bambang (19 July 2009). "Jakarta Hotel Bombers Linked to Jemaah Islamiyah, Police Say". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
- "Presiden Kutuk Bom, MU Batal ke Indonesia". Kompas (in Indonesian). 2009-07-17. Archived from the original on 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Holandes, Joseph (2009-07-17). "RP condemns 'dastardly, inhumane' Jakarta bombings". GMA News. Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Joshi, Mohit (July 17, 2009). OIC condemns Jakarta bombings Archived 2012-03-09 at the Wayback Machine. Topnews.in.
- Faisal Muhammed condemns bomb blasts in Jakarta Archived 2011-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. United News Network. July 17, 2009
- World powers condemn Jakarta hotel bombings Archived 2023-03-17 at the Wayback Machine. Deutsche Welle. July 17, 2009
- EU, Australia, Britain condemn Jakarta hotels blasts Archived 2009-07-19 at the Wayback Machine. The Jakarta Post. July 17, 2009
- Message of condolence Archived 2009-07-23 at the Wayback Machine. Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta.
- "AFP: Obama strongly condemns Jakarta bombings". Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
External links
- Timeline: Bombings in Indonesia
- CCTV video in Ritz-Carlton hotel just before the explosion
- Terror in Jakarta: Twin Hotel Bombs - slideshow by Life Magazine
- The Bomber - This Al Jazeera documentary follows Jaka Karyana as he tries to piece together the story of his younger brother Dani Dwi Permana, who carried out the suicide bombing.