ONE afternoon in early June 2006 in a coffee stall in Solong, Ulee Kareng Banda Aceh, two middle-aged men shared the same table. Before them were two glasses of half-consumed tasty Aceh coffee. Talking like old friends, their smiles emerged every now and again.

There was nothing special at first glance, as they looked like ordinary visitors. Most locals did not recognize them. But everybody knew their names in Aceh: Sulaiman AB (former commander o