‘Demolition Man,’ ‘Moneyman’ — suspected bombing masterminds
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The two Malaysians suspected of masterminding the latest suicide attacks in Bali are notorious for their skills, as dissimilar as they are complementary: One is an expert at making bombs, the other a smooth talker adept at recruiting bombers. "Moneyman" Noordin Mohamed Top, and Azahari bin Husin — known as the "Demolition Man" for his knowledge of explosives — are key figures in the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for Saturday’s bombings that killed 26 people. The two became Southeast Asia’s most wanted fugitives after allegedly masterminding the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, and the Jakarta suicide attacks in 2003 and 2004, which left 23 more dead. Indonesian police say the two have eluded capture for several years by renting cheap houses in densely populated areas, with nearby back alleys for quick escapes. Azahari, an Australian-trained engineer, and Noordin were close associates of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah’s former operational chief, Riduan Isamuddin. Isamuddin, an Indonesian better known as Hambali, was captured in Thailand in 2003 and is now in US custody. The two Malaysians are believed to have taken his mantle — but this remains unconfirmed.
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"‘Demolition Man,’ ‘Moneyman’ — suspected bombing masterminds"