REUTERS, Mon Sep 9, 5:12 PM ET
U.S. Closes Embassy in Jakarta Because of Threat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Embassy in the Indonesian capital Jakarta and
the consulate in the city of Surabaya closed to the public on Monday until further
notice because of a threat of attack, the State Department said.
[Reuters Photo]
"They have received credible and specific threat information that the American
embassy in Jakarta and consulate general in Surabaya are at risk of terrorist attack,"
spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing.
Surabaya is in east Java. "That means that they've closed their facilities to public
activity until further notice, and they're reviewing their security postures," he said.
Asked about whether the threat was linked to the first anniversary of the Sept. 11
attacks, Boucher said, "I don't think I can go into any more detail, but we're all aware
of the date."
On Monday 15 Indonesian Mujahidin Council members staged a protest at the Jakarta
embassy, calling the United States the true terrorist on the global scene. Analysts
have said that a U.S. attack on Iraq could cause unease among the moderate Muslim
majority in Indonesia, which is under pressure to do more in the U.S.-led war on
terrorism, and would inflame the country's small radical Islamic groups.
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