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Bush urges Jakarta to begin terror crackdownReports U.S. attack warnings went unheeded
By Joe Havely CNN Hong Kong
(CNN) -- The Bush administration is ramping up pressure on the Indonesian government to crack down on Islamic militants in the wake of last weekend's deadly bombings in Bali. U.S. officials are keen that the devastating blasts are seen as a wake-up call on the reality of the terrorist threat for President Megawati Sukarnoputri. They are urging her to follow the example of President Arroyo in the neighboring Philippines who -- with American military assistance -- has taken a tough, uncompromising line on al Qaeda-linked militants based in the south of the country. Referring to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Saturday's blasts had shown terrorism could take root "everywhere where the conditions are ripe." "You cannot pretend it [terrorism] doesn't exist in your country," he said Tuesday in response to a question about Jakarta's reaction to the bombings. He added that he hoped the attack would reinforce "Indonesia's determination to deal with this kind of threat." Powell's comments echoed those of President Bush a day earlier who said Megawati should recognize that the reputation of her government is now on the line. "Any time terrorists take hold in the country it's going to weaken the country itself," he said. "There has to be a firm and deliberate desire to find the killers before they kill somebody else," Bush said. WarningThe increased diplomatic pressure has coincided with several reports since the Bali bombings quoting U.S. officials as saying they had warned Indonesian authorities that such an attack was imminent, but that no action was taken. According to the New York Times Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador in Jakarta delivered several warnings that an attack was being planned by the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiah -- a group linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network. The latest warning to Megawati was delivered just a day before the Bali blasts, although officials said none of the warnings contained details of when an attack might take place or of likely targets, the Times report said.
Much of that intelligence is thought to have come from a Kuwaiti-born suspect arrested on the main Indonesian island of Java in June and handed over to the United States for questioning by the CIA. According to U.S. officials Omar al-Faruq, who has described himself as al Qaeda's senior representative in Southeast Asia, warned in September that there were plans for "large-scale" attacks in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and elsewhere in the region. During his interrogation al-Faruq said he was responsible for coordinating and encouraging terror attacks against the United States and its allies. According to a senior official quoted by the New York Times, intelligence authorities told the Indonesians the attack might not necessarily target an official American site, but rather one known to attract American civilians. MilitantsThe warnings prompted the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to bolster security, evacuate non-essential staff, and advise Americans to reconsider travel plans in the country -- but the Indonesian authorities themselves took no action, the official said. In the wake of the Bali bombings senior Indonesian officials have been forced for the first time to confirm that al Qaeda was active in the country.
However Megawati herself, who is not generally known for making bold public statements, has yet to comment on the issue. Despite massive international pressure after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, she refused to arrest several alleged militant leaders named by Western intelligence agencies as having terrorist links. Observers believe that had she done so because she feared alienating the moderate Muslims who form the overwhelming majority of Indonesians. On top of that, Megawati has been reluctant to cross swords with her vocal Vice President Hamzah Haz, who has made little secret of his support for some of the more extremist Islamic viewpoints. Now, with Washington gearing up the diplomatic pressure and threatening to label Indonesia a terrorist haven, what action she takes will be crucial to the future of U.S.-Indonesian relations. Anti-terror programIn August, during a visit to Jakarta, Powell announced that Washington had agreed a three-year, $50 million anti-terror program with the Indonesian government. Included in that was funds designed to boost the Indonesian intelligence gathering and $12 million to establish a special anti-terrorism unit within the Indonesian police. After the Bali blasts that funding could be boosted significantly in the coming weeks. Also up for consideration will be a resumption of direct U.S. military assistance to Indonesia. Contact between the two militaries was suspended by the U.S Congress after the 1999 violence in East Timor, blamed on elements within the Indonesian military. Although none of the alleged ringleaders have yet been brought to justice, there is now a growing feeling among intelligence and military officials in Washington that short term human rights concerns should give way to the long term needs of the war on terrorism.
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Any time terrorists take hold in the country it's going to weaken the country itself
