wmlro.com: Indonesia chases hotel bombing funds.

The impact of the bombing of the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels is being felt in unexpected ways. For example, at least one international airline has pulled its crew from hotels within the group, opting to travel almost an additional two hours from Jakarta's airport rather than use their more usual - and much more convenient base.

Additional security at all international hotels is adding to the cost of running the hotels at a time when margins are being squeezed by falling trade. And bookings are down at major city centre hotels since the bombings.

As more information becomes available about the extent of the planning of the attacks, including the scouting of premises by a flower supplier who has since been killed in a raid on the bomber's safe house, the fact that the team was in place for anything up to a year is causing embarrassment for the anti-terrorism forces - and raising questions as to their ability to gather intelligence. That is despite frequent raids and shootouts between terrorist suspects and anti-terrorism forces.

But Indonesians are shocked that there would be another high profile attack. Already angered by two attacks in Bali and a previous attack on the JW Marriott in central Jakarta, the latest outrages have sparked widespread condemnation of the attackers - and an upsurge in information flowing from the public.

And in return, the authorities are keeping the public informed as to how that intelligence is being used - and the successes it is bringing.

Yesterday, the police named a suspect in the hunt for funds which they said may have been provided by al Qaeda and channelled via local supporters. Just hours later, acting on information received as a result of that appeal, Muhammad Jibril, also known as Muhamad Ricky Ardhan and Abu Jibril) was located in the Pamulang district of Jakarta and arrested without resistance. The police say that his role has still to be proved but that they believe the evidence they have will be sufficient to achieve that. He will be questioned to ascertain the extent of his alleged involvement - and to learn more about his connections.

Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna said today, Wednesday, that there is evidence of Jabril's links to a splinter group from Jemaah Islamiyah - and thus to Noordin Mohammad Top. Jabril runs an Islamic news Website and it is alleged that he used that to pass coded messages and to raise money for the bombing campaign. His lawyers deny that he is in any way involved. But Jabril is not the only suspect being held over the funding: a week ago an un-named man was arrested and has been questioned during that time: it is understood that Jabril's name came out of that questioning.

But Jabril, in an earlier interview with TVOne News said that he had been arrested in Saudi Arabia on what he called "misidentification" charges and nothing to do with terrorism; yet, he told the channel, he know Noordin Top when they both lived in Malaysia.

Police allege that funds for the bombing originated in Saudi Arabia and were hand-carried in cash.

And today, Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna of the Indonesian national police named another suspect: Saudi national Ali Muhammad bin Abdullah alias Al Khalil "Ali" saying that he is a suspect in the financing of the attacks.

Jabril's father, Muhammad Iqbal, alias Abu Jibril, a cleric deported from Malaysia following allegations of links to Jemaah Islamiyah. It's not the first time he has been connected to explosives, say sources in Indonesia: he has previously been arrested and detained for questioning after a bomb exploded in the front garden of his home.

The police have also been monitoring the immigration records of visitors from the middle east and several people who arrived in Indonesia in the period leading up to the attacks have disappeared, strengthening Indonesia's conviction that there is a middle-east connection.

Indonesia is also using the media to demonstrate that they are gathering information rapidly and effectively: late last week, it was announced that they had found evidence of a plot to bomb the APEC meeting planned for Singapore in November - but they have denied media reports that they also found evidence of plans to stage a sniper attack when US President Obama visits Indonesia in November. Indeed, unusually, the police have been disparaging of the source of those reports saying that Dynno Chressbon, an intelligence analyst with the Jakarta-based Centre for Intelligence and National Security does not have access to the necessary documents and is not connected with either the specialist counter-terrorism unit or the police.

For its part, Singapore has said that it is maintaining an appropriate state of alert, and that is is not aware of any specific threat.