24 January 2002 1345 hrs (GMT) 2145 hrs (SST) S'pore finds new proof linking 13 detainees to al-Qaeda group by Hwee Goh

The Home Affairs Ministry has found new evidence which it says proves a "clear link" between the 13 men detained for allegedly planning terrorist activities and the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

The men were among 15 arrested for allegedly planning to attack US military, diplomatic and business targets.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that one of the detainees, Mohamed Khalim Jaffar, recently revealed that he had hidden some items in a secret compartment in his home.

In the presence of Mohamed Khalim's wife, investigators searched his Yishun HDB flat again and found a video tape on the Yishun MRT surveillance and a computer hard disk.

The video tape is the same as the one received by the Singapore Government from its foreign liaison counterparts on December 28.

That copy was found in Afghanistan in the rubble of an Al Qaeda leader's house.

The latest copy, however, has no commentary, and Singapore authorities think it is likely to be the original tape.

The video tape pinpoints several possible spots where a bomb might be placed at the commuter train station.

The Yishun MRT station was selected because it's where US military personnel catch a shuttle bus to the Sembawang Wharf.

As for the hard disk, although it was wiped clean, forensic investigation recovered a file on how to avoid detection and maintain secrecy.

The file was entitled "Security of an Organisation".

Investigators also learnt that the video tape was delivered by another detainee, Faiz Abu Bakar Bafana, to an al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan.

That leader is Mohamed Atef, one of Osama bin Laden's lieutenants believed to have died in Afghanistan recently.

Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said that these new findings show "a very direct link" between the Jemaah Islamiyah group in Singapore and the al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan.

"The new finding shows a very direct link between the Jemaah Islamiyah group detained here and Al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan. The cracking of this case shows that Singapore is on top of the situation."

Mr Wong also stressed that the Government would not hesitate to take strong, pre-emptive action against anyone who threatens Singapore's peace and security.

Currently, an advisory board, headed by a High Court judge, is reviewing the detentions.

Detainees can engage legal counsel and make representations to the board.

And if a detainee does not make representation the board must still review his case within 15 months.