`Govt will ensure safety of foreigners'<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government assured foreigners living in Indonesia on Friday
\nthat it would do its utmost to ensure their safety and protect
\ntheir interests should war break out in Iraq.<\/p>\n
However, it underlined that there were no indications so far
\nthat an attack against Iraq would trigger massive protests in the
\nworld's largest Muslim country.<\/p>\n
\"We will ensure that such a backlash will not disrupt our
\ndomestic security, but so far there have been no indications that
\nsuch an attack may occur,\" Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan
\nWirayuda said after a meeting with President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Hassan expressed optimism that the majority of Muslims were
\nfully aware that concerns against Washington's war plan should be
\nconveyed in an orderly fashion.<\/p>\n
\"We have seen efforts by our inter-faith leaders, who have
\njoined hands in toning down the possible radicalism here, and so
\nfar it has worked,\" Hassan said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who
\nattended the meeting, agreed with Hassan, saying that it was the
\nprerogative of the security forces to ensure the safety of all
\nforeigners here.<\/p>\n
\"However, we have yet to increase the security around foreign
\ninterests or embassies, as so far there have been no indications
\nof any threats against them,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a number of militant groups have threatened to
\ndestroy U.S. interests in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We are preparing measures to threaten the U.S. interests here
\nand maybe we will raid their citizens...we are not afraid to face
\nsecurity officers,\" Jaffar Sidiq, the commander of the Islamic
\nDefenders Front, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"It is clear that should America attack Iraq, they are
\ndeclaring war against the rest of the world because everyone, not
\njust Muslims, are against their war plans,\" Jaffar underlined.<\/p>\n
The country's moderate Muslim leaders have repeatedly warned
\nthe U.S. that attacking Iraq would serve as a reason for
\nradicalism to rise and endanger U.S. interests here.<\/p>\n
Late in 2001, the country saw waves of anti-American sentiment
\nwhen the U.S. attacked Afghanistan for allegedly harboring Osama
\nbin Laden, the prime suspect of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York
\nand Washington.<\/p>\n
To anticipate such backlash attacks around the globe,
\nWashington has asked 60 countries to expel 300 Iraqi diplomats,
\nsaying that these diplomats would be agents of threat to U.S.
\ninterests around the world.<\/p>\n
Hassan said that surprisingly, Indonesia was not among the 60
\ncountries, as Washington has not conveyed the request to the
\ngovernment so far.<\/p>\n
\"I think this is a good sign. The other countries have asked
\nwhether Indonesia was among those countries and I said no,\" the
\nminister remarked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-will-ensure-safety-of-foreigners-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}