MANILA, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States has denied direct access of the Philippine authorities to captured Indonesian terror leader Hambali, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople told reporters on Monday.

　　Blas said US State Secretary Colin Powell sent him a letter dated Sept. 12 saying that the American government will only grant partial access to Hambali, who is believed to be the mastermind of many attacks in Southeast Asia including a series of bombing attacks in Manila at the end of 2000.

　　Ople said Powell assured him that Washington will cooperate with Manila in interrogating Hambali, who is also known as Riduan Isamuddin. "There are many questions that our authorities would like to ask, and the US side has agreed to pose the questions to Hambali," he added.

　　Hambali, one of the leaders of the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), was arrested with seven other accomplices last month in a combined operation of United States intelligence and Thai police.

　　The secretary also asked the Philippine justices, security and intelligence agencies to prepare a set of questions that they want to ask Hambali. With Hambali also charged in other countries, Ople said Manila is willing to take its turn in bringing him to justice.

　　Several bombs went off almost simultaneously in different parts of Manila on Dec. 30, 2000, killing at least 22. Local rebel group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been tagged as the primary suspect, but evidences obtained later showed JI members also had an active role in the attacks. Enditem