Jakarta – Indonesia's military threw its backing on Friday behind a controversial government anti-terror plan to revive a far-reaching intelligence network used to quell dissent during the country's authoritarian past.

Military chief General Endriartono Sutarto told reporters at the presidential palace the plan was needed to prevent terrorist cells operating in the vast archipelago.

The plan to resurrect the network of multi-agency intelligence offices, a design used by ousted autocrat Suharto during his 32-year rule that ended in 1998, was proposed by home affairs minister Muhammad Ma'ruf on Thursday.

Ma'ruf had said the regional intelligence coordinating bodies, known by the Indonesian acronym Bakorinda, would synchronise the anti-terror efforts of the military, police and judiciary in all regions of Indonesia.

"If the system in the centre works but the regions don't, prevention will not be at the maximum. Intelligence bodies have to cooperate at the lowest level," Sutarto said after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"We know terror can be foiled if we tackle it from the lowest level." Security officials are still formulating how the network can be revived and which institution will ultimately be in charge of it, he said.

The plan, first mooted after the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people and thrust Indonesia onto the front lines in the fight against terrorism, is strongly opposed by several legislators and human rights groups.

Asked about fears the plan would only revive repressive government, the country's top soldier said: "Which do you prefer, having such fears or losing lives." "Should we allow another 200 people to become victims? The government has the duty to provide security," he said, referring to the Bali bombings.

Authorities have blamed the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah militant network for the Bali blasts and for other recent attacks in Indonesia.

Police have received praise for bringing dozens of terror perpetrators to justice, but they have also reaped criticism for failing to prevent terror at the planning level.