Indonesia group says picking anti-Israel volunteers

JAKARTA, Aug 11 (Reuters) A militant Indonesian Muslim group said today it would screen suitable candidates from 720 volunteers who had signed up to travel to the West Asia to fight Israel and that it would give them basic training.

The training would take place in three cities -- Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Solo -- where they had registered, said Irfan Awwas, executive chairman of the Indonesian Mujahideen Council.

''Today they will undergo health checks and possibly some training. The number one condition is that they have to be ready to die as martyrs,'' Awwas told Reuters.

Hardline militant groups in Indonesia have made claims in the past of sending volunteers to participate in conflicts overseas which have sometimes proved exaggerated.

The Mujaheedin Council is led by Abu Bakar Bashir, a Muslim cleric who was recently released after serving a prison term for a criminal conspiracy that led to the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people.

A number of hardline Islamic groups in Indonesia say they have recruited volunteers to be sent to the West Asia to wage war on Israel, which is fighting the Islamic group Hizbollah in Lebanon and militants in Palestinian territories.

Separately, the head of the country's second-largest Muslim group was quoted by the Jakarta Post as urging Indonesians to donate money to help Hizbollah and the ruling Palestinian group Hamas buy arms to resist Israel instead of going themselves.

''There's no need to send men there. I think we should donate more money to help Hizbollah and Hamas fighters buy weapons,'' Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

His organisation says it has 30 million followers.

''If needed, I will personally hand over the weapons to them,'' Syamsuddin was also quoted as saying after meeting Vice President Jusuf Kalla along with the leaders of other religious groups.

He could not be immediately reached for comment.

According to the paper, Syamsuddin said his group had donated oney via the Palestinian embassy to help Hamas buy arms and was seeking donations for Hizbollah.

Earlier in August, the self-styled head of the Jakarta-based ASEAN Muslim Youth Movement said more than 200 militants had been sent on missions to attack Israel's interests and countries that support the Jewish state.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said this week Indonesia had no way to prevent citizens traveling to the West Asia to fight Israel but advised them against such a ''reckless'' move.

The minister's comments appeared to contradict earlier police statements that they would prevent people from going to the West Asia or elsewhere to fight.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has said it is ready to send troops to Lebanon if called upon to participate in a possible UN peacekeeping mission.

Jakarta does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and has been a strong supporter of the Palestinians' struggle for nationhood.

REUTERS DKB PM1515