Counter-terrorism in Singapore
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194848615
2008-02-29T07:01:19Z
165.21.155.92
/* Arrest of Jemaah Islamiah members */
'''Counter-terrorism in Singapore''' is a series of measures implemented in [[Singapore]] to detect and prevent [[terrorism]], and to minimise damage from such terrorist acts should they occur. These measures involve all levels of society, including [[Singapore Armed Forces|defence]], [[Singapore Police Force|internal security]], border and infrastructure security, civil defence, medical readiness, and psychological preparedness. Singapore also participates actively in international counterterrorism efforts. Singapore has not experienced terrorism since 1991.
==Timeline==
:''See also: [[Timeline of Singaporean history]]''
These are the events related to terrorism and counter-terrorism in Singapore. Also listed are major terrorist incidents in the world and in [[Southeast Asia]] that have influenced counter-terrorism policies in Singapore.
===[[1965]]===
[[March 10]] - [[MacDonald House bombing]] by [[Indonesia]]n [[saboteurs]] killed 3 people, during the [[konfrontasi]] period.
===[[1974]]===
*[[31 January]] - [[Laju incident]]
===[[1984]]===
*Concept of [[Total Defence]] is introduced.
*The [[Singapore Special Operations Force]] (SOF) is formed in secret.
===[[1990]]===
*May - The elite [[Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team]] (DART) is formed
===[[1991]]===
*[[March 26]] - Four [[Pakistan]]is hijack [[Singapore Airlines Flight 117]] and demand the release of [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] members from Pakistani jails.
*[[March 27]] - Members of the [[Singapore Special Operations Force]] storm [[Singapore Airlines Flight 117]], killing all hijackers and freeing all passengers and crew members.
===[[1992]]===
*[[September 10]] - [[Special Operations Command (Singapore)|Special Operations Command]] (SOC) is formed, combining the [[Special Tactics and Rescue (Singapore)|Police Tactical Team]] (PTT), [[Police Tactical Unit (Singapore)|Police Tactical Unit]] (PTU) and [[Police K-9 Unit (Singapore)|Police Dog Unit]] under one wing.
===[[2001]]===
*[[September 11]]- [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] in the [[United States]]
*[[December 9]] - 15 militants of [[Jemaah Islamiyah]] are arrested for the [[Singapore embassies attack plot]] [http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=667&type=4&root=0&parent=0&cat=0&mode=arc]
===[[2002]]===
*August - Singapore arrests another 21 members of [[Jemaah Islamiyah]].
*[[October 12]] - [[2002 Bali bombing|Bali car bombing]] by [[Jemaah Islamiah]] kills 202 people in the [[Indonesia]]n island.
===[[2003]]===
*[[January 17]] - [[Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group]] conducts Exercise Diamond Shield to demonstrate chemical and biological defence capability.
*March - Chemical Verification Laboratory is certified by [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] (OPCW) as a designated laboratory for the testing of [[chemical warfare]] agents
*[[August 11]] - [[Riduan Isamuddin]] (Hambali), leader of [[Jemaah Islamiyah]], is arrested in [[Thailand]].
*[[August 14]] - [[Air Marshal Unit]] is formed to counter terrorism threats against civil aviation [http://www.singapore-window.org/sw03/030814af.htm]
*[[October 1]] - The first [[Special Rescue Battalion]] of the [[Singapore Civil Defence Force]] is formed [http://www.scdf.gov.sg/html/abtus/abt09_milestones_2003-2004.html]
===[[2004]]===
*[[February 27]] - [[SuperFerry 14]] is bombed in the [[Philippines]] by [[Abu Sayyaf]], killing 116.
*[[March 11]] - Coordinated [[11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings|bombing of commuter trains]] in [[Madrid]], [[Spain]], kills 191 people and injures more than 1,500.
*[[March 21]] - Malaysian Prime Minister [[Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]] leads [[UMNO]] to a resounding victory in the [[Malaysian general election, 2004|General Elections]], checking the advance of [[Islamic Party of Malaysia]] (PAS) that aims to establish Malaysia as an Islamist theocratic country.
*[[May 6]] - Prime Minister [[Goh Chok Tong]] delivers a speech at the [[Council on Foreign Relations]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] titled ''"Beyond Madrid: Winning Against Terrorism"''. [http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=7004]
===[[2005]]===
*[[July 7]] - [[7 July 2005 London bombings|London suicide bombings]] on one [[double-decker bus]] and three [[London Underground]] trains, killing 55+ people and injuring over 700.
*[[August 15]] - The newly established [[Police MRT Unit]] begins operational patrols on the [[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Mass Rapid Transit]] network to enhance the security of [[Transportation in Singapore|Singapore's public transport]]
*[[August 15]] - Singapore hosts a multi-national maritime interdiction exercise, codename [[Exercise Deep Sabre]] as part of the [[Proliferation Security Initiative]].
*[[August 25]] - French [[investigating magistrate]] [[Jean-Louis Bruguière]] singles out Singapore along with [[Tokyo]] and [[Sydney]] as potential terrorism targets of the [[Al-Qaeda]]. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/33cb0c4c-15a8-11da-8085-00000e2511c8.html] [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] later denied receiving any specific information on imminent terrorist threat.[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/165133/1/.html]
*[[October 1]] - [[2005 Bali bombings|A series of explosions]] kills at least 23 in resort areas of Jimbaran Beach and Kuta in [[Bali]], [[Indonesia]].
*[[November 21]] - [[November 25|25]] - Singapore hosts the [[Regional Special Forces Counter-Terrorism Conference]].
===[[2006]]===
*[[January 8]] - [[Counter-terrorism in Singapore#Exercise Northstar V|Exercise Northstar V]], a large scale civil defence exercise, is held in Singapore.
==Arrest of Jemaah Islamiah members==
The main terrorist threat to Singapore is from [[Jemaah Islamiah]] (JI), which has links to [[al-Qaeda]] and [[Abu Sayyaf]]. [[Jemaah Islamiah]] is known to have carried the [[2002 Bali bombing|Bali bombing in 2002]], which has killed 202 people, as well as the [[2004 Jakarta embassy bombing|Jakarta bombing in 2004]] outside the Australian embassy, killing 11 people.
After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] on the [[United States]], an informant revealed to the Singapore [[Internal Security Department]] regarding [[Muhammad Aslam Yar Ali Khan]], a Singaporean of [[Pakistan]]i descent, who was a member of a group partnered with Al-Qaida. Muhammad Aslam Yar Ali Khan was placed under surveillance by Singapore Internal Security Department, after which he left for [[Pakistan]] on [[October 4]]. This man was captured by [[Afghan Northern Alliance]] forces in [[Afghanistan]]. His interrogation led investigators to more Jemaah Islamiah members in Singapore.
On [[December 9]] [[2001]], 13 suspects were arrested. Soon after that, a video found in an abandoned house in [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]] showed a narrator in Singapore describing how to attack [[United States|Americans]] using explosives. Investigators found similar tapes at the residences of the arrested men. In all, 33 men were arrested in relation to [[Singapore embassies attack plot|this plot]]. [http://www.singapore-window.org/sw02/020126ft.htm]
In August 2002, another 21 members of Jemaah Islamiyah were arrested, demolishing JI's Singaporean cell. Arrests were also made in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. As of [[11 November]] 2005, 36 alleged members of JI or the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front]] were being detained under the [[Internal Security Act (Singapore)|Internal Security Act]].<ref>{{ cite news | url = http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/afx/2005/11/11/afx2331703.html | title=Islamic militant detained in Singapore under Internal Security Act - govt | publisher = AFX News Limited | date = [[11 November]] 2005 }}</ref>
However, Singapore believes that Jemaah Islamiyah remains active in Southeast Asia and is recruiting new members.
On [[25 August]] [[2005]], French [[investigating magistrate]] [[Jean-Louis Bruguière]] singled out Singapore along with [[Tokyo]] and [[Sydney]] as potential terrorism targets of the [[Al-Qaeda]]. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/33cb0c4c-15a8-11da-8085-00000e2511c8.html] The [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] later responded that it had not received any specific information on imminent terrorist threat against Singapore, but added that security measures have been taken to strengthen security at borders, key infrastructure and iconic buildings. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/165133/1/.html]
== Homeland security ==
The [[Singapore Police Force]] has in recent years enhanced security at various locations in the country.
On [[August 15]], [[2005]], the newly established [[Police MRT Unit]] began operational patrols on the [[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Mass Rapid Transit]] network to protect the public transportation system. Personnel from the [[Special Operations Command (Singapore)|Special Operations Command]] (SOC) and the [[Gurkha Contingent]] (GC) have also been deployed to complement other police officers on patrol. In addition, the [[Police Coast Guard]] (PCG) stepped up its effort to inspect ferries and other vessels in Singapore territorial waters.
On [[October 26]], [[2005]], Deputy Prime Minister and [[Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence (Singapore)|Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence]] [[S Jayakumar]] announced that Singapore was developing an early warning system, called the [[Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning]], to identify and assess new emerging threats to national security. The system, developed by the [[National Security Coordination Secretariat]], will be put in place by mid-2007. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/175366/1/.html]
== Counter terrorist specialised units ==
At the forefront in the fight against [[terrorism]] are specialised military, law enforcement, and civil defence units, namely:
*[[Singapore Special Operations Force]],
*[[Special Operations Command (Singapore)|Special Operations Command]],
*[[Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group]]
== Additional power to military==
In May 2007, the parliament passed an amendment to the SAF Act, giving additional powers to the [[Singapore Armed Forces]]. A selected group of about 2,000 SAF personnel will be trained to perform security operations in designated areas. These personnel, identified by a Military Security identification card, will be able to search, detain and use reasonable force against terror suspects.<ref>{{cite news| title = SAF given new powers to deal with changed security landscape | date = 2007-05-21 | publisher = Channel NewsAsia | author = Asha Popatlal | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/277507/1/.html}}</ref>
==Exercise Northstar V ==
On [[8 January]] [[2006]], a large scale emergency preparedness exercise was conducted. Codenamed Exercise Northstar V, it involved 22 agencies and 2,000 emergency personnel. An additional 3,400 commuters also participated in the exercise. The exercise involved a simulated terrorist bomb attack on four [[List of Singapore MRT stations|MRT stations]] and one [[bus interchange]]. There were 500 mock casualties suffering from "injuries" caused by the "explosions" as well as [[Chemical warfare|chemical agents]]. The exercise is the largest civil emergency exercise ever staged in the country.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/186433/1/.html | title = Twenty-two agencies in Exercise Northstar V ready for action | publisher = Channel NewsAsia| date = [[03 January]] 2006}} </ref>
===Objective===
Exercise Northstar V is part of the counter-terrorism effort in Singapore, aiming to test the readiness, effectiveness and coordination of the relevant agencies in responding to civil emergency, in particular a large scale multi-location terrorist attack. The exercise also aimed to raise the psychological preparedness of the public in the event of a terrorist attack.
The exercise is prompted by the recent terrorist attacks on public transport in other countries, namely the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|London bombings on 7 July 2005]] and the [[11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings|Madrid train bombings on 11 March 2004]], which raise security concerns in public infrastructure. Singapore was the target of [[Singapore embassies attack plot|the foiled plan ]] by [[Jemaah Islamiyah]] to bomb embassies and other installations.
The scenario of the exercise is similar to the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|London bombings]] with near-simultaneous bomb blasts in the trains and a bus. Earlier, officers from the [[Singapore Police Force]] were sent to [[London]] to study the British responses to the bombings.
The public were pre-warned that the exercise would be held during a weekend in January 2006 and the participating agencies were given as many as six months to prepare. However, the exact date, time and locations of the exercise were not disclosed until 15 minutes before the drill commenced.
However, there were some public complaints of authorities' overzealous enforcement of rules. One recent example involved airport security officers detaining a family of four for using the word "bomb" in [[Singapore Changi Airport]]. The family later published an account of how they were detained wrongly online and it sparked a public controversy. See [http://spawnily.livejournal.com/413020.html].
===Conduct of the exercise===
The exercise started at 6:25 am local time on [[8 January]] [[2006]], a Sunday, and lasted about three hours. To avoid public panic, announcements were made at the affected train stations as well as on television and radio, just before the exercise began.
Mock explosive devices were detonated near-simultaneously in subway trains and station platforms at four [[List of Singapore MRT stations|MRT stations]] ([[Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station|Dhoby Ghaut]], [[Toa Payoh MRT Station|Toa Payoh]], [[Raffles Place MRT Station|Raffles Place]] and [[Marina Bay MRT Station|Marina Bay]]) and in a [[double decker]] bus at [[Toa Payoh Bus Interchange]]. A chemical agent attack was then simulated at [[Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station]] at 6:45 am. An undetonated mock bomb was also placed at the [[Raffles Place MRT Station]]. About 3,400 commuters who were on board the subway trains were evacuated during the drill. Services at 13 MRT stations were temporarily disrupted and roads within the vicinity were also closed to traffic. Shuttle buses were used to ferry commuters affected by the exercise.
Thunderflashes, smoke generators, and fire simulators were used to simulate the explosion and 500 simulated casualties were deployed to test emergency rescuers at the scene. These mock casualties carried tags to provide paramedics information on the extent of their injuries and these includes injuries related to bomb blasts, such as open wounds and burns. There were also some with injuries related to chemical agents. Dummy mannequins were also used to simulate casualties. 7 hospitals and 2 polyclinics were also involved in the drill as they received the mock casualties. In two hospitals, [[Singapore General Hospital]] and [[Tan Tock Seng Hospital]], healthcare workers donned [[decontamination]] suits as they prepared to treat victims of chemical agents suspected to be [[sarin]] gas.<ref>[http://www.scdf.gov.sg/General/News/News_Releases/2006/newsrel_080106.html Official news release: Multi-agency Civil Emergency Exercise] - [[Singapore Civil Defence Force]], 8 January 2006</ref>
Officers from the [[London Metropolitan Police]] and the [[British Transport Police]], including Chief Constable Ian Johnston, were present to observe the exercise and to provide feedback to the authorities.<ref>[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/187146/1/.html Official news release: British Transport Police observe Exercise NorthStar V] - [[Channel News Asia]], 8 January 2006</ref>
==Social cohesion==
Jemaah Islamiyah aims to exploit racial and religious issues to create instability in the region, and to stir up conflict between Singapore and Malaysia, as part of its goals. Following the liquidation of the JI cell, then-Prime Minister [[Goh Chok Tong]] held dialogues with the leaders of the Muslim community, which makes up 15 per cent of Singapore population. Details of the investigation were shared to explain that the arrests were not targeted at the Singapore Muslim community, or Islam. In schools and workplaces, [[Inter-racial and religious confidence circle|inter-racial confidence circles]] were formed to promote better inter-racial and inter-religious understanding between the different racial and religious communities.
Islamic scholars and counselors in Singapore participated in the rehabilitation of the detained JI members, giving the Muslim community a role in the ideological front of Singapore's counterterror efforts. Singapore's [[Housing and Development Board|housing]] and [[Education in Singapore|education]] policies continue to ensure that the Muslim community in Singapore is integrated with other communities in schools, housing estates and the workplace.
The [[Group Representation Constituency]] concept was introduced in 1988 to ensure minority representation in the [[Parliament of Singapore]]. In the [[Cabinet of Singapore|Cabinet]], [[Yaacob Ibrahim]] holds an office titled [[Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs]], who looks into issues pertaining to the Muslim community. This ensures that Muslim sentiments are heard at the highest level of government.
==References==
<references/>
==See also==
*[[Kiddy Bag]]
==External links==
*[http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=667&type=4&root=0&parent=0&cat=0&mode=arc White Paper - The Jemaah Islamiyah Arrests and The Threat of Terrorism, Singapore]
* [http://www.ntu.edu.sg/idss/WorkingPapers/wp71.pdf “Constructing” the Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist: A Preliminary Inquiry] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]]) - [[Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies]], Singapore, October 2004
* [http://www.observerindia.com/reports/maritime/psingapore.pdf Maritime Couner-Terrorism: A Singapore Perspective] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]]) - Joshua Ho, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore, 2004
*[http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=7004 Beyond Madrid: Winning Against Terrorism] - Speech by [[Goh Chok Tong]] at the [[Council on Foreign Relations]] ([[6 May]] 2004)
* [http://www.nbr.org/publications/analysis/vol14no5/145.pdf Funding Terrorism in Southeast Asia: The Financial Network of Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]]) - National Bureau of Asian Research (December 2003)
* [http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=1452&l=1 Jemaah Islamiyah in South East Asia: Damaged but Still Dangerous] - [[International Crisis Group]] ([[26 August]] 2003)
*[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/171401/1/.html Declaring JI a terror group is starting point in fight against terror: Dr Gunaratna] - [[Channel NewsAsia]] ([[2 October]], 2005)
*[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Asean_leaders_ink_terrorism_pact/articleshow/1171728.cms Asean leaders ink terrorism pact]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism in Singapore| ]]