January 22, 2002, AFP, Indonesian suspect key link to al-Qaeda in Philippines: military,

January 22, 2002, AFP, Indonesian suspect key link to al-Qaeda in Philippines: military,

MANILA, Jan 22 (AFP) -

A suspected Indonesian terrorist arrested here last week is believed to be the main recruiter of Filipino members for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, an army spokesman said Tuesday.

Security officials last week nabbed Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi after a tip off from Singapore. His arrest led to the arrest of four Filipino Muslim accomplices and the seizure of an explosives cache in the southern city of General Santos.

Al-Ghozi is believed to be a top member of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiya, described by Philippine authorities as an Islamic "terror group operating in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia."

"He is the main man here. This guy, I would say, is in charge and the link of the other (terrorist groups in other) countries to the Philippines," army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jose Mabanta said.

"Within the next few days we will be filing charges," against al-Ghozi, he added.

Mabanta also assured the Muslim population in the southern Philippines the military will not make arbitrary arrests. "Our brother Muslims have nothing to fear if they don't have any involvement in this," he said.

Al-Ghozi's arrest came amid an intensified crackdown of terrorist groups in Southeast Asia and the arrival of US troops for joint trainings in the southern Philippines against the Muslim Abu Sayyaf group.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of Muslim gunmen both Manila and Washington say is linked to al-Qaeda.