Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi

Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi (17 February 1971 in Indonesia – October 2003 in the Philippines) was a key operative and bomb-maker of the Islamic militant Jemaah Islamiya group (JI). Al-Ghozi is known by several names and aliases, including Fathur Roman al-Ghozi, Randy Alih, Sammy Sali Jamil, Rony Azad, Edris Anwar Rodin, Mike. Al-Ghozi has been accused of plotting and carrying out several terrorist attacks in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Terrorist activities

Born in 1971 in East Java, Indonesia, Al-Ghozi became a member of JI. He had ties with Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiyah, having studied in Bashir's religious school in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia for six years, in late 1980s.cite news| url = http://www.singapore-window.org/sw02/020126ft.htm | title = 'Sleeper cells' in Singapore show al Qaeda's long reach | publisher = Financial Times, London | Author = Raymond Bonner and Seth Mydans | date = 2002-01-26] He received military training at an al-Qaeda camp along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistani. He then became a JI trainer, conducting bomb-making courses in Malaysia and the Philippines. He was also reported to be a member of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) special operations group, going by with another alias Randy Ali.

Al-Ghozi planned and financed the Rizal Day bombings, a series of bombing carried out by Jemaah Islamiya on 30 December 2000 that killed 22 people. In October 2001, under the instruction of JI leader Hambali, Al-Ghozi went to Singapore using a false Filipino passport to activate a JI's sleeper cell and direct the JI members to conduct reconnaissance and plan a series of bombings attacking United States and Western interests. Yazid Sufaat ("q.v.") had acquired four tonnes of ammonium nitrate for the bombs. Among the intended targets were U.S. and Israeli Embassies, British and Australian High Commissions, and commercial buildings housing US firms. They planned to launch the attacks in December 2001/January 2002 or April/May 2002, but the plot was uncovered by authorities in December 2001.cite news| title = White Paper - The Jemaah Islamiyah Arrests and The Threat of Terrorism | publisher = Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore | date = 2003-01-09 | url = http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=667&type=4&root=0&parent=0&cat=0 ]

Arrest

Al-Ghozi was arrested in the Philippines on 15 January 2002, three hours before he was to board a plane from Manila to Bangkok for an arranged meeting with Riduan Isamuddin and other al-Qaeda and JI operatives. [cite news| title = Thailand: A safe haven for al Qaeda? | publisher = CNN | date = 2002-12-05 | author = Maria Ressa | url = http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/12/05/thailand.terror/index.html ] He pled guilty to charges of possession of illegal explosives in April 2002, and was sentenced to 17 years in jail. While in custody, he gave information that led investigators to a cache of more than a ton of explosives, 300 detonators and other bomb-making materials in the Southern Philippines.cite web |title = Fathur Rahman al-Ghozi | publisher = GlobalSecurity.org | url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/profiles/fathur_rahman_al-ghozi.htm ] These items were recovered from a house rented by al-Ghozi in General Santos City in Mindanao.cite news | title = Philippines: Dirty war, stupid targets | publisher = Asia Times | date = 2002-02-16 | url = http://www.atimes.com/editor/DB16Ba01.html ] Al-Ghozi confessed that he had provided the explosives used in the Rizal Day bombings, and had been planning to use the remaining explosives for the embassies attacks in Singapore. [ cite news | title = Escapee Ghozi was executed? | date = 2003-10-14 | url = http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2003/10/14/news/escapee.ghozi.was.executed..html | publisher = Sun.Star network, Philippines]

Escape and death

On 14 July 2003, al-Ghozi managed to escape from a high security facility in Manila, together with two other terrorist suspects belonging to the Abu Sayyaf group. [cite news | title = JI leader Fathur al-Ghozi escapes Philippines jail | date = 2003-07-15 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s902822.htm | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation ] The breakout led to a nationwide hunt for the fugitives in the Philippines. The government posted a reward of 10 million pesos for information on his whereabouts.

On 12 October 2003, it was reported that al-Ghozi was killed during a police shootout in Mindanao.Greg Barton, "Indonesia's Struggle - Jemaah Islamiyah and the Soul of Islam." ISBN 086840759] According to reports, the authorities received a tip that al-Ghozi was travelling near Pigcauayan. A military checkpoint was set up, but the jeep transporting al-Ghozi rammed through the roadblock and a gun battle ensued. Soldiers shot al-Ghozi while he was attempting to detonate a hand grenade; he died on the way to a nearby clinic. cite news | title = Execution claims over bomb-maker's timely death | author = Richard Paddock, Al Jacinto, Tom Allard | publisher = Sydney Morning Herald | date = 2003-10-14 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/13/1065917344390.html?from=storyrhs]

ee also

; Terrorist activities
* Rizal Day bombings
* Singapore embassies attack plot

; Associates
* Riduan Isamuddin (Hambali)
* Abu Bakar Bashir

References