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AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Sat Nov 19, 2005 2:26 AM ET

Westerners face "serious" security threat in Indonesia: US

The United States cautioned that Westerners faced a "serious" threat from militants in Indonesia and renewed a warning to Americans to defer non-essential travel to the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Updating a travel warning issued three weeks ago, the US State Department ! said militants might also change tactics from targeting specific businesses or buildings to attacking individual Westerners in Indonesia.

The department reminded Americans in a statement that in recent years militant attacks had occurred in Indonesia during the Christmas and New Year's holiday season and "the possibility of terrorist attacks appears even higher this year."

The warning, it said, was based on new information received following the killing in Indonesia this month of a top militant blamed for orchestrating the 2002 Bali bombings which left 202 people dead, as well as attacks last month that killed 20 on the Indonesian resort island.

"The US embassy reminds Americans in Indonesia of the continued serious security threat to Americans and other Westerners in Indonesia," it said.

Citing information obtained following a November 9 raid in which terror suspect Azahari Bin Husin was killed by Indonesian police, the State Department said militants associated with Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah "were in the advanced stages of planning additional attacks against westerners in Indonesia."

In the raid, police discovered 35 bombs ready to use in attacks and found a videotaped statement from a hooded terrorist who threatened specific attacks against Americans, Australians, British and Italians.

"The embassy and the Indonesian Government take these threats very seriously," the State Department said.

It added that the discovery of the bombs and a website allegedly set up by Azahari's partner-in-crime Noordin Mohammad Top instructing militants to attack foreigners in Jakarta "make it clear that terrorists in Indonesia are likely changing their tactics to include targeting of individual western citizens."

While militants in the past targeted specific businesses or buildings, the department said new information showed "terrorists are likely now planning to attack westerners riding in cars or walking on streets, sidewalks or pedestrian overpasses in Jakarta."

The State Department said information on the website, seen by AFP in Jakarta on Friday, "was developed by persons with serious terrorist intent."

The website specifically mentions locations in the Kuningan area known to be frequented by many Western pedestrians, including hotels, office buildings with international tenants, and pedestrian overpasses, it said.

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.
 


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