'U.S. has no right to bring war on terror to RI'<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Terrorists may have the potential to set up in Indonesia but
\nthat does not give the United States the right to bring its war
\non terrorism to the world's most populous Muslim country,
\nIndonesia's intelligence chief said.<\/p>\n
But A.M. Hendropriyono, quoted by the official Antara news
\nagency on Tuesday, also said working with the United States to
\ncombat terrorism was in Indonesia's national interests.<\/p>\n
The comments mark growing public acceptance by officials that
\nthe vast Indonesian archipelago could be infiltrated by militants
\nsuch as Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.<\/p>\n
Malaysia and Singapore have arrested groups of alleged Islamic
\nmilitants over the last month, linking them with al-Qaeda and
\nsaying they also had cells in Indonesia, although Jakarta says
\nthere is no evidence of any ties to local Muslim groups.<\/p>\n
\"We have to admit that Indonesia could become a pocket for
\nterrorism, so we need to work together (with the U.S.). But that
\ndoes not mean the United States can make the archipelago of
\nIndonesia part of its war,\" Hendropriyono said late on Monday.<\/p>\n
In a recent newspaper interview, U.S. Deputy Secretary of
\nDefense Paul Wolfowitz said in the next phase of the U.S. war on
\nterrorism Washington would focus on keeping terrorists out of
\nplaces like Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has come under the spotlight due to fears al-Qaeda
\nwould encounter little difficulty infiltrating Indonesia because
\nof its poverty, communal violence, poor law enforcement and the
\nemergence in recent years of a number of small radical Muslim
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Arguably the country's sprawling geography -- stretching more
\nthan 5,000 km (3,100 miles) from the northern entrance of the
\nStrait of Malacca to western New Guinea and encompassing more
\nthan 17,000 mostly uninhabited islands -- makes Indonesia
\ntempting for terrorists seeking remote bases.<\/p>\n
Echoing Jakarta's line, Hendropriyono said international
\nterrorism was the enemy of the global community. He did not
\nmention al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
National police spokesman Saleh Saaf said on Saturday it would
\nbe fairly easy for militants to slip into the archipelago.<\/p>\n
Washington launched its war on Afghanistan to hunt down bin
\nLaden and members of al-Qaeda, accusing them of undertaking the
\nSept. 11 air attacks that killed around 3,000 people in the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
Many mainstream Islamic leaders and political say that despite
\nits many problems, Indonesia will not become a breeding ground
\nfor extremist pan-Islamic groups.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono last month sparked confusion by saying al-Qaeda
\nhad once been in the Poso area of Central Sulawesi, scene of
\nviolence between Muslims and Christians, but was now gone.<\/p>\n
He appeared to base those remarks on information provided by
\nSpanish authorities probing the al-Qaeda network.<\/p>\n
Amien Rais, head of Indonesia's People's Consultative
\nAssembly, has said that Hendropriyono had since told him there
\nwas no evidence.<\/p>\n
In the West Java capital of Bandung police have detained 10
\nyouths who are members of an illegal group called the Indonesian
\nIslamic State (NII), a police detective said here Tuesday.<\/p>\n
They were caught during a gathering in a rented house here
\nSunday, Comr. Zaunul Arifin said.<\/p>\n
Parents, whose children had joined NII, have grouped
\nthemselves and lodged complaints with the police, saying their
\nchildren's behavior has drastically changed after joining the
\nillegal group, Zaunul said.<\/p>",
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