The Jakarta Post, 5/26/2005 2:36:46 PM
U.S closes embassy in Indonesia, citing security threat
JAKARTA (Agencies): The United States on Thursday closed all of its diplomatic
facilities in Indonesia until further notice, citing an unspecified security threat.
The decision comes a week after Australia urged its citizens to avoid traveling to
Indonesia because of a warning by police in Jakarta about possible suicide bombings,
particularly at embassies, international schools, office buildings and shopping malls.
In an e-mailed statement, U.S. officials said the American embassy in Jakarta would
be closed along with the consulates in Surabaya, Medan and the island of Bali. Other
American government offices would also be shuttered.
They also reaffirmed earlier warnings that the threat of terrorism in Indonesia "remains
high," but did not say what led to the closings on Thursday.
"Attacks could occur at any time and could be directed against any location,
including those frequented by foreigners and identifiably American and other Western
facilities or businesses in Indonesia," it said.
National Police spokesman Col. Zainuri Lubis said his agency had found no threat
against the American embassy or companies and encouraged Americans to resume
their normal activities.
"We have checked and investigated the bomb threat against the United States
Embassy and its facilities here but we have not found anything," he said.
"The national police will continue guarding all Western facilities, but it is the right of
the United States to close their embassies or issue travel warnings."
On May 18, Australia warned travellers of possible suicide bombings in the Indonesian
capital after a warning was issued a day earlier by the Jakarta Police.
The car bomb that exploded outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta on Sept. 9,
2004, also wounded more than 200 people, while 88 Australians were among the 202
killed in the Bali nightclub bombings in October 2002.
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