My Weblog: Maldives: Kindler, gentler approach to terrorists "not working"

The Maldives, usually thought of as a beautiful vacation spot, is once again making headlines in the terrorism world.

But like the rest of the world, the Maldives Islands are not immune to terrorism either.

Reports on Sunday indicate that jihadist material and a homemade bomb concealed in a DVD player, similar to the bomb which injured 12 tourists in September 2007, were found during a raid on the Maafushi Jail. According to reports in Minivan News, a Maldives newspaper:

A home-made bomb and literature commending Jihad were among the items seized during a five-day raid carried out at Maafushi Jail over the past week.

The raid was carried out by the Emergency Supportive Group (ESG) and the police after riots broke out in the jail last Wednesday when prisoners smashed up and torched areas of the prison.

The bomb or improvised explosive device (IED) was found hidden inside a DVD player. A similarly improvised device was used in the 2007 Sultan Park bombing, which injured 12 tourists in Male’.

One of the documents, entitled “Words of advice to the brethren leaving for Jihad,” spoke of Jihad as the “noble path”, telling readers of the “inner happiness and peace” they would find through fulfilment of holy war.

Following the Sultan Park bomb blast, three Maldivians were sentenced after confessing to planting the device with the intention of attacking non-Muslims “to fulfil Jihad”.

Other items seized during the raid included hand-drawn and Google Earth maps of the prison; mobile phones and accessories; hammers; trowels; numerous metal bars; a saw; a drill; syringes; and numerous knives.

Many of the metal items were found buried beneath the sand using a metal detector.

It appears the government is reconsidering its approach to handing terrorists, with the kinder, gentler approach not being successful:

On the government’s new softer approach to prisoners, Superintendent Waheed conceded that it had “not worked”.

Speaking to Minivan News last week, Faisal, who is also acting home minister, said the government had been “too nice” to inmates.

In addition, this week, Pakistani authorities announced that nine Maldives natives have been arrested with weapons near the Pakistani-Afghan border in Waziristan. Minivan News in the Maldives reports:

According to Ameen Faisal, none of the detainees had criminal records, but Minivan News has learnt that one, Ali Shafeeq, 25, of R.Kandholhudhoo, had been arrested for his involvement in the bomb blast in September 2007 which injured 12 tourists in Male’s Sultan Park.

He was later cleared of all charges and released.

The news comes two weeks after the South Asian News Agency reported that three Maldivians had been arrested for illegally entering Waziristan.

Yesterday, Ahmed Saleem, the president of the Human Rights Commission Maldives (HRCM), said the commission had received reports about Maldivians enlisting with terrorist organizations and there were a number of dead Maldivians who could be classified as extremists.

The remaining eight arrested were: Yoosuf Izadhy, 38, of M.Nicosia in Male’, Ahmed Ashraf, 31, of Hdh.Vaikaradhoo; Abdullah Sameer, 38, of Sh. Lhaimagu; Ali Faiz, 31, of Hdh.Vaikaradhoo; Moosa Yoosuf, 30, of L.Kalhaidhoo; Yoosuf Mohammed, 52, L.Kalhaidhoo; Mohammad Zuhree, 28, of Gdh. Dhaandhoo; and Arif Ahmed, whose details are as yet unknown.

B. Raman describes Himandhoo Island in the Maldives as “a hotbed of Wahhabi activity and, according to multiple intelligence sources, was a major transit point for South and Southeast Asian militants traveling by boat to fight in Somalia in the Fall and Winter of 2006”.

In September 2007, 12 tourists were injured in a terror attack near Sultan Park, a popular tourist destination in the island resort. Less than two months later, Al Qaeda of the Maldives released a video entitled “Your Brothers in Maldives are Calling You!”.