Moves afoot to label shadowy Asia group terrorist<\/p>\n
Reuters, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Many Asia-Pacific nations are moving towards calling a
\nregional group at the center of suspicion over last weekend's
\nmassive bomb attacks in Bali a terrorist organization, a senior
\nU.S. official said on Friday.<\/p>\n
No countries have yet labeled the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah
\nIslamiah network a terrorist group, although the United States
\nhas said it was considering doing so.<\/p>\n
Such a move would put even more heat on Indonesia -- already
\nunder intense scrutiny in the wake of the Bali blasts -- to take
\naction against militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, alleged
\nby officials in some countries to be the head of Jemaah Islamiah.<\/p>\n
Asked by a small group of reporters if he expected Jakarta to
\ndeclare Jemaah Islamiah a terrorist body, the U.S. official said:
\n\"I think the chances are very good that many APEC members,
\nincluding many ASEAN members are moving in that direction and it
\nwould be great for Indonesia, for the region, if they were to
\njoin in that.\"<\/p>\n
The U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said that
\ndid not mean he thought countries under the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) forum might issue a statement to that effect
\nwhen its leaders meet in Mexico from Oct. 26-27.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations
\nwhich includes Indonesia.<\/p>\n
No group has claimed responsibility for the Bali carnage, but
\nsuspicion has fallen on al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah, which has
\nbeen accused of seeking to bomb Western targets as part of
\nefforts to set up an independent Islamic state in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
More than 180 people were killed in the Bali attacks, which
\nleveled a prime section of its tourist strip near Kuta Beach.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir has been ordered to appear for questioning in Jakarta
\non Saturday in relation to a bombing in 2000. He has since been
\ntaken to hospital and may not be able to attend, an aide said
\nearlier.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir has denied any wrongdoing and says Jemaah Islamiah
\ndoes not exist.<\/p>\n
The U.S. official said around 200 dependents of U.S. embassy
\nstaff in Indonesia, as well as 90 embassy personnel, would have
\nleft the world's most populous Muslim country by Friday night in
\nresponse to the heightened concerns over security.<\/p>\n
That would leave about 100 embassy staff in the country.<\/p>\n
The U.S. official added that Indonesia was in the
\ninternational spotlight and needed to respond decisively.<\/p>\n
\"I think Indonesia is very much at a crossroads, not just with
\nthe international community, but with itself in terms of
\nmeasuring up to how this fringe element is going to represent
\nitself in Indonesia...,\" said the official.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think it's overstating it to say they are at a
\ncrossroads, the next few days are potentially quite historical,\"
\nthe official added, without elaborating.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/moves-afoot-to-label-shadowy-asia-group-terrorist-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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