KL to open regional antiterrorism center<\/p>\n
Reuters, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia, in cooperation with the United States, will open an
\nantiterrorism center next week as part of a drive by Southeast
\nAsian nations to combat militancy, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid
\nAlbar said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Police and the military will not be involved in the center,
\nwhich will focus on studies of terrorist organizations, and give
\ninstruction on border security and how to deal with the aftermath
\nof a terrorist attack, officials said.<\/p>\n
Washington proposed last year that Malaysia host a center,
\nafter thanking Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for his
\ngovernment's help in the war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001,
\nattacks on New York and Washington.<\/p>\n
Ties between the two have become strained since then, but they
\nmaintain strong defense and security links.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, a strident critic of the U.S.-led attack on Iraq,
\naccused the West on last Thursday of using the 2001 attacks on
\nthe United States as an excuse to return to "violent old ways"
\nand attack Muslim nations.<\/p>\n
Malaysian officials say the U.S. threatened in March to
\nwithdraw Ambassador Marie Huhtala after anti-U.S. remarks by
\nMahathir. In May, Huhtala said Washington found some statements
\nby Malaysian leaders "offensive".<\/p>\n
Malaysia decided to fund the center on its own rather than
\nrisk stoking antiU.S. sentiment among the majority Muslim Malay
\npopulation, but it still took U.S. help.<\/p>\n
"Subsequently with their cooperation and necessary personnel
\nexpertise from the U.S., we have established what is called
\nSoutheast Asia Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism," Syed Hamid
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has arrested close to 90 suspected militants since
\nearly 2001, the bulk of them on suspicion of belonging to Jamaah
\nIslamiyah, a shadowy regional group whose leadership has ties to
\nal-Qaeda, according to police.<\/p>\n
Jamaah Islamiyah is accused of being behind the Bali bomb
\nattacks last year, which killed more than 200 people, most of
\nthem Western tourists. It is fighting to create a conservative
\nIslamic state across Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, the
\nsouthern Philippines and southern Thailand.<\/p>\n
But there are many other militant groups in the region besides
\nJamaah Islamiyah.<\/p>\n
The center, to be officially opened on July 1, is primarily
\nfor officials from the 10 member states of the Association of
\nSoutheast Asia Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-to-open-regional-antiterrorism-center-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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