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Despite President Musharraf's assurance of release, it is still unclear what will happen to Gunawan and friends.
RUSMAN Gunawan, 27, has suddenly become a topic of discussion between Indonesia and Pakistan. Last week, his fate, as well as the fate of five of his colleagues, was discussed in a room of the United Nations building in New York City. The discussion was taken up by none other than Indonesian President Megawati and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. These two heads of state of majority Muslim populated countries were attending a UN General Assembly. As previously reported, Pakistan intelligence authorities arrested six Indonesian university students in Karachi, Pakistan.
Gunawan has become a focus of attention because he is suspected of being involved in the Al Qaeda network led by Osama bin Laden. He is also accused of being a member of the Jamaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia. Gunawan was arrested after his older brother, Encep Nurjaman, better known as Hambali, was arrested early last August by CIA agents and Thai Police in Ayutthaya, northern Thailand.
In America's eyes, Hambali is the most-wanted man on the list of fugitives, topping the list of Asian terrorists. Western intelligence has named him the leader of Al Qaeda in Southeast Asia and the leader of the underground Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) organization. It is felt that JI is behind the string of bombings in...