ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sun Apr 21, 2002 12:26 AM ET
Australia says there is evidence of terrorist training in southeast
Asia
CANBERRA, Australia - Australia said Sunday terrorists were being trained in
Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries and that Canberra was working with
the United States to reduce the threat they pose to the region.
However, Defense Minister Robert Hill said he did not expect Washington to use
military force against them.
"We think there is evidence of some communication and some training of terrorists
across into our region, including Indonesia," he told Seven Network television. "And
therefore it's ... in the interests of Australians that we work with Indonesia to ensure
that there's not a threat to Australia arising out of it."
He said Australia and the United States had exchanged information with Indonesian
authorities on the movement of people who have suspected terrorist links. He did not
give further details.
Concerns about terrorism in Asia have grown after the arrest of dozens of suspected
Muslim extremists in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines in the aftermath of the
Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.
Western officials have said terrorist groups with links to al-Qaida are also operating in
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, and Australia's northern
neighbor. The officials have accused Indonesia's government of doing too little to
clamp down on the groups.
Last month, FBI director Robert Mueller said the United States had clear evidence
that members of the al-Qaida terrorist network of Osama bin Laden were operating in
Asia. He said al-Qaida had tried to obtain weapons of mass destruction.
Also Sunday, Hill said the government expected the United States to allow Australian
officials to question an Australian man suspected of having links to al-Qaida after he
is transferred to a U.S. prison camp in Cuba from Afghanistan.
Hill said Mamdouh Habib was due to be moved to Camp X-ray in Guantanamo Bay
over the weekend. Habib is the second Australian detained for allegedly training with
al-Qaida.
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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