Growing anti-U.S. sentiment is cause for concern<\/p>\n
The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo<\/p>\n
The car bomb that ripped through a hotel in downtown Jakarta
\nwas set off in broad daylight, killing and injuring many innocent
\nbystanders.<\/p>\n
It seemed as if the terrorists were directing their fury at
\nthe lunchtime crowd in the Indonesian capital. The bomb exploded
\nin front of a ritzy, American-owned hotel. More than 10 people,
\nincluding a Dutch citizen, were killed. About 150 people were
\ninjured. The scene was one of utter carnage.<\/p>\n
It occurred while memories are still fresh of the terrorist
\nbombing in the resort island of Bali last October. The toll there
\nexceeded 200.<\/p>\n
Indonesian authorities believe the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), an
\nIslamic militant organization, was behind both blasts. There are
\nsuspicions the Jakarta attack was timed to coincide with the Aug.
\n7 sentencing of one of the perpetrators of the Bali carnage.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is a mishmash of diverse ethnic groups, religions
\nand languages, and hot spot of all sorts of unrest, including the
\nescalating separatist movement in Aceh, northern Sumatra.<\/p>\n
We earnestly hope the Indonesian government will be completely
\nthorough in its investigation. At the same time, we believe the
\ngovernment must review its terrorist countermeasures as a matter
\nof urgency. After Bali, the government adopted a hard-line policy
\nof rounding up individuals suspected of having anything to do
\nwith terrorist activity. The government should carefully examine
\nwhere flaws existed in the system that allowed the attack to take
\nplace.<\/p>\n
JI is thought to be linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
\nThe vice president of Indonesia noted the Jakarta blast was
\nintended to sabotage U.S. interests.<\/p>\n
One cause for concern is that it occurred against a backdrop
\nof mounting anti-American sentiments in Indonesia. The hotel in
\nquestion is owned by a major U.S. hotel chain, and patronized
\nfrequently by U.S. Embassy staff.<\/p>\n
The Iraq war has made the United States an even more inviting
\ntarget of terrorist attack. This is really alarming.<\/p>\n
Lately, there have been a spate of bomb blasts across
\nSoutheast Asia, in the Philippines and Malaysia, for example. And
\nwith the arrests of JI members in Thailand and Cambodia, the
\nregion has come to resemble a front line in the international war
\non terrorism.<\/p>\n
Some sources point out that terrorist groups have begun to tie
\nup with Asian drug and smuggling rings to facilitate the flow of
\nfunds and weapons from the Middle East and other regions. These
\ncriminal organizations are believed to have ties to certain
\ncorrupt military officers. The problems run quite deep.<\/p>\n
To crack down on these activities, law enforcement must be
\ncoordinated most carefully around the world. A foreign ministers'
\nmeeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has labeled
\ncounterterrorism a priority agenda for the region. Among steps
\nconsidered, the meeting has proposed sharing investigative
\ninformation and establishing a counterterrorist center. These
\nsteps should be strengthened.<\/p>\n
But also not to be forgotten are medium- and long-term plans
\nto address the problems that give rise to terrorism, such as
\npoverty and the intensification of antagonism between outlying
\ncommunities and the national capital.<\/p>\n
These developments are as much Japan's business as anyone
\nelse's. Quite definitely, Japan must cooperate fully with its
\nAsian neighbors in fighting terrorism.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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