Terrorism expert Dr Rohan Gunaratna was the target of strong criticism from Malaysian leaders when his book, Inside al-Qaeda: Global network of terrorism, was cited as the source of a United Nations report linking Barisan Nasional with al-Qaeda via ties with a southern Filipino separatist group.

However, Rohan stands by his assertions, describing his book as a "bold statement" which no one had disputed.

Here last Friday to speak at the invitation of Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis), he shares with malaysiakini some of his findings about the real threat of terrorism in the region, particularly Malaysia.

Last week, the US issued a warning that al-Qaeda's next target is Malaysia but police have said that it is baseless. So how real is this threat?

I think the US warning must be taken seriously. It is because the US warning is based on credible information. However, the US that considers Malaysia as an ally should have discussed this matter privately first with Malaysia before issuing a public warning.

Today the threat of terrorism is not only in Malaysia. It is affecting the whole region. It is wrong on the part of any government to single out any particular country. The threat of terrorism in Malaysia is equal to that in the US.

Why do you think the US singled out Malaysia?

I think it was based on specific information.

Is this information related to the al-Qaeda operative (Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri) who is now in the custody of the US authorities?

Yes. (The) suspect was living in Malaysia. In my book, I mentioned that this man was in charge of the Gulf operations targeting South Asia and he was based in Malaysia.

Why did the US keep secret the arrest of this person for a while?

Maybe other arrests had to be made based on his information.

Do you think the travel warnings issued by the US against travel to Southeast Asian countries are justified?

At this point of time, there is a significant presence of al-Qaeda and JI members in SEA. And they pose a very high threat to this region.

Do you know all the organisations (with members in Malaysia) that are listed by the UN as terrorist organisations?

The Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM).

Some people in Malaysia feel that the KMM may have been created by the government to put away a large number of people whether they are serious threat or not. What do you think of this?

I will assure you that the spiritual leader of the KMM is Abu Bakar Bashir and the key operation man of the KMM is Hambali.

Do you have any idea where Hambali is?

The last information that we have is that he is in Thailand. This is based on debriefings of detainees.

Why do you think Malaysia has tolerated people like Bashir and Hambali in the country for so many years?

I think they didn't perceive them as a threat until the KMM arrests in mid-2001. But the nature of these groups is that they are invisible and operate below the intelligence radar screen.

In your book, you attribute some findings to newspaper articles, books and interviews with intelligence officials. How much reliance can you place on the press reports or information in the books?

I have verified the reports that I have referred to in my book. No one has made a dispute of the (information). Malaysia initially (thought) that I linked the Barisan Nasional to al-Qaeda but the prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) later (acknowledged) that I haven't done that.

You also said that al-Qaeda's regional base is in Malaysia. Did you interview any local law enforcement or intelligence officers to obtain this information?

I know this region very well. I spent a lot of time in this region. I travelled a lot. I spent 15 years of my life travelling.

You have spoken with some people here?

Yes. I know Malaysia very well. People can criticise me but they must do so based on facts.

You said several individuals from political parties in Malaysia including the Barisan Nasional had ideological and political links to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Do you know who these individuals are?

Absolutely. I have discussed it with the Malaysian government soon after the issue (arose). I spoke with government officials in detail about the individuals that I have referred to and there is no dispute about it.

There is a long history of Malaysia's role in trying to resolve the dispute in the Philippines between the Moros and the government. So naturally there has been some contact.

That is clear but whether al-Qaeda has infiltrated MILF

Al-Qaeda's infiltration of MILF is beyond dispute. We all know that. We know that many JI members went to train in MILF camps. There is no one who knows the field who say that al-Qaeda and MILF are not linked.

Everyone knows that all the JI members were trained in al-Qaeda camps. Omar al-Faruq who is in American custody now but arrested in Indonesia was the Emir (leader) of Camp Vietnam in Mindanao which is in MILF. No one disputes that.

Are the Malaysian individuals aware of the link between al-Qaeda and MILF?

That I do not know. I only said that certain individuals in BN have links with MILF. That's the only thing I said.

But going further on that, you have not mentioned how they are linked, in what way or how deep are the links

I didn't want to go into such details. The book has limited number of pages. You can't devote too much to that but I don't think that if I wrote some rubbish, the Malaysians would have invited me to come and give this presentation (at Isis).

How much do you know about the anti-terrorism centre?

I am not associated in any way with that centre.

But do you have any idea what shape it is going to take?

I think the Americans and the Malaysians will start very small. The centre will develop depending on how the threat will develop.

What do you think is necessary for governments to link all al-Qaeda-related events happening around the world?

Governments must come together and consider four practices:

  1. They must build common databases to track terrorists between the governments;
  2. There should be exchange of personnel;
  3. They should share technology; and
  4. They should undertake joint training, joint operations, and share their experiences.

Do you think by allowing the centre to be set up here, Malaysia is tacitly conceding that there is a serious concern that Malaysia may be a regional base of al-Qaeda?

Malaysia is already a target of al-Qaeda. In mid-January 2002, Hambali proposed to Mohamad Mansour Jabarah to target bars, restaurants and nightclubs in a number of countries which included Malaysia.

Tomorrow: Rohan on al-Qaeda's links with JI and the Bali bombings.