Terror threats not shared with police: Officers<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Police disclosed on Monday that foreign missions
\nhave not shared information concerning possible terrorist threats
\nagainst foreign interests here in retaliation for the United
\nStates-led attack on Iraq.<\/p>\n
\"There is no such sharing of information between the police
\nand foreign missions regarding the issue,\" police spokesman Sr.
\nComr. Zainuri Lubis told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The police always cooperate with foreign countries in handling
\ncertain issues, said Zainuri. He was referring to the current
\njoint team involving the National Police and the Australian
\nFederal Police (AFP) to investigate the Oct. 12, 2002 terror
\nattack in Bali, which claimed at least 202 lives, and the
\ninvolvement of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in
\nthe probe into an ambush near Freeport mining site in Papua in
\nAugust last year.<\/p>\n
Concerning the Iraq war, the police have only cooperated with
\nsecurity officers of foreign missions here in anticipating of an
\nescalation in demonstrations against the U.S.-led invasion of
\nIraq, he said.<\/p>\n
Following the move by the American and Australian governments,
\nthe British embassy warned its citizens on Monday of a possible
\nterrorist attack in Surabaya or elsewhere in the country in
\nconnection with the Iraq war.<\/p>\n
Citing \"credible information\", Australia advised its nationals
\nnot to visit Surabaya and of a possible terror attack on or about
\nMarch 23. No incident occurred in the city on that date.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Embassy has also warned that the war against Iraq
\ncould prompt further terrorist attacks in Indonesia following the
\nBali blasts last October that killed 202 people, mainly
\nforeigners.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Stanley Harsha,
\nrefused to comment on the issue. However, he said the U.S.
\ngovernment \"has developed good cooperation with the police in a
\nbid to protect its citizens and interests here\".<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the British Embassy also refused to comment
\non the matter, while the Australian Embassy spokesman could not
\nbe reached for comment.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jakarta regretted the recent warnings from the
\nforeign governments, saying that the warnings do not reflect the
\nactual peaceful situation in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We acknowledge the obligation of foreign countries to protect
\ntheir citizens, and should they have any information regarding
\nsecurity please share it with us,\" spokesman of the foreign
\naffairs ministry, Marty Natalegawa, told the Post<\/p>\n
The police refuted the possibility that warnings from several
\ncountries were linked to possible terrorist attacks in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"We found no indication of such a planned attack,\" said Insp.
\nGen. Erwin Mappaseng, the National Police's intelligence head.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the recent investigation of a ship, in which
\nterrorists had reportedly planted a bomb, in East Java's capital
\nof Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Sources said that the police obtained the information on a
\npossible bombing of a ship from locals on Friday. On Saturday
\nmorning, the police combed the ship, which travels between
\nMakassar and Surabaya, only to find that the report was a hoax.<\/p>\n
Marty said that the government refused to relate the current
\nrallies with terrorist activities saying that the protesters were
\n\"honest and law-abiding citizens, who oppose the war\".<\/p>\n
He said that current antiwar rallies were also happening in
\nmany countries around the globe and so far none of the
\ndemonstrators had resorted to violence.<\/p>\n
The country has seen continuous antiwar rallies that have, on
\nthe whole, proceeded peacefully.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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