Southeast Asia may be hit again by major terror attack: Lee Kuan
\nYew<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nSingapore<\/p>\n
The insurgency in Iraq has given Southeast Asia a reprieve from
\nlarge-scale terror attacks but the region must be ready for a
\nanother big strike, Singapore's elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew said
\nin remarks published on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Lee warned that Iraq is a good training ground for militants
\nas they battle Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces and said they
\ncould still shift their attention to Southeast Asia, including
\nSingapore, a staunch U.S. ally.<\/p>\n
The former prime minister said one Singapore-based terrorism
\nexpert told him the insurgency in Iraq \"made things better\" for
\nthe region because militant groups have focused all their
\nenergies there.<\/p>\n
\"So they have no time for Southeast Asia because here's a
\nchance, lots of Americans to be killed (in Iraq). Let's go there.
\nAnd it's a good training ground,\" Lee said in remarks published
\nin the Today newspaper, taken from a U.S. television interview.<\/p>\n
The 81-year-old Lee, whose son Lee Hsien Loong became prime
\nminister in August, said Southeast Asia remained on the radar
\nscreens of terror groups such as Osama bin Laden's Al-qaeda and
\nits regional affiliate Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).<\/p>\n
He warned that Singapore remains a possible target.<\/p>\n
\"Now what have I done in Singapore to offend him (Osama)?,\"
\nsaid Lee, who remains in cabinet as a senior adviser with the
\ntitle minister mentor.<\/p>\n
\"He and his affiliates were planning several huge car bombs
\nwith two tonnes of nitrates each -- each one of them twice the
\nsize of the Oklahoma City bomb,\" Lee said, referring to a foiled
\nJamaah Islamiyah plot to strike targets in Singapore in 2001.<\/p>\n
The Jamaah Islamiyah has been blamed for three bombings in
\nneighboring Indonesia which have left a total of 224 people dead
\nin the past two years.<\/p>\n
Lee said Singapore is being targeted because of its support
\nfor the U.S.-led war against terror. The city-state allows
\nAmerican aircraft and ships to use its facilities.<\/p>\n
Singapore continues to detain several suspected militants
\ninvolved in the alleged plots and has provided intelligence to
\nits neighbors leading to the arrest of militant leaders.<\/p>",
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