July 23, 2009

FLASHPOINT: Jakarta

Blasts Bring New Urgency to Hotel Security

The search for the masterminds behind last week's bloodbath in Jakarta, Indonesia has shifted to Malaysia, home to terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Intelligence sources believe the man behind this latest outrage to be Noordin Mohammed Top, a Malaysian Muslim, who is credited with involvement in every significant jihadist operation and bombing in Indonesia during the past ten years.

Hindering any serious investigation into Noordin's activities will be the Malaysian government's policy of non-cooperation with the intelligence agencies of neighboring countries.

Any serious hope of averting future attacks in the region will be left to the individual hotel management and local authorities.

Gerard Group is deeply concerned with the lack of expert attention given to the security of global hotel chains with properties in high-risk regions. Security solutions have been typically inadequate against the changing tactics and ingenuity of terrorist attackers. And yet viable and effective solutions exist which are capable of providing extraordinary protection against terrorist attack.

The history of such attacks throughout the Middle East and South East Asia is long and painful. Iconic chains including the Hilton and Marriott Hotels have suffered multiple attacks in Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia. And yet last week, with all this experience, two simple suicide bombers detonated their bombs in two Jakarta hotels, killing seven people and injuring many dozens more.

Protecting their hotels against terrorist and criminal attacks requires senior management to stop limiting their choices to old security standbys like the installation of bollards and cameras, and adopt an all-hazards approach that is fluid and flexible enough to adjust to new trends in terrorist activity as they evolve. By incorporating solutions that address older types of attack as well as the latest terrorist tactics, they will provide a far superior level of protection for both the infrastructure and the people who visit and work there. This is a highly effective strategy that has been successfully employed by Gerard Group for many years, and is recommended by the Department of Homeland Security.

The approach encompasses technology, operational process, and human behavior to provide a comprehensive solution set that should be embraced by every hotel chain security manager, whose role it is to decide how to best protect the hotel properties and the guests and staff on whom the industry depends.

For more information about hotel security, please visit our website.

UPDATE from The Jakarta Globe:

Indonesia's Detachment 88 anti-terrorism squad has detained a woman believed to be the wife of Malaysian terrorist suspect Noordin M. Top.

Former Detachment 88 chief Surya Dharma told the Jakarta Globe Noordin is believed to have married Arina to bind his accomplice with family ties and make him less likely to betray Noordin.

Pasuruan village chief Watim Suseno confirmed the arrests. Indonesian police spokesman Nanan Soekarna declined to comment.