"Osama`s figure is indeed important but it is not the only factor in Al Qaeda."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A parliamentary leader said news about Osama bin Laden`s death, if it was true, would certainly affect the strength of Al Qaeda as an organization which he had led so far.
"But I think it will not stop their agenda. Certainly it will affect their strength," Mahfudz Siddiq, the chairman of House of Representatives` Commission I overseeing among other things security and foreign affairs, said to ANTARA News here on Monday.
His statement came following the US government`s report that Osama bin Laden had died.
"Why, his death will not stop their agenda. It is because Al Qaeda has already developed a system of organization and recruitment," Siddiq from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said.
He said Al Qaeda also was an ideology-based organization "Osama`s figure is indeed important but it is not the only factor in Al Qaeda" he said.
A political observer meanwhile said news about the death of Osama must be understood as a victory of the US in its fight against terrorism.
"Osama is a symbol of the world`s terrorism so his death must be understood as a victory of that country in the fight against terrorism in the world," Hikmahanto Juwono, a professor of International Law of state University of Indonesia said to ANTARA here on Monday.
Hikmahanto believed that the news was true because CIA`s forensic and intelligence investigation had confirmed the truth of the operation in the Osama`s hideout.
He said "the announcement certainly has been made upon accurate and thorough considerations by the White House and therefore
it was President Obama himself that has made it," he said.
Hikmahanto said if the information was later found to be false the risk would be a drop in President Obama`s popularity to make him unelected for a second term.
"For Indonesia the news will motivate the intelligence and the police to increase their efforts to eradicate terrorism that has so far kept haunting us," he said.
He said in the future people must not be surprised if they saw increased operations to arrest alleged terrorists in the country.
"We are obliged to give support for the sake of our common security," he said.
(T.M036*B013/H-YH/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
