ASEAN countries on alert ahead of Sept.11

ASEAN countries on alert ahead of Sept.11

Agencies, Manila/Kuala Lumpur

Southeast Asian police chiefs said on Tuesday they have not monitored any specific threat linked to the anniversaries of the Sept. 11 attacks and the Bali bombings but that their antiterrorist forces are on alert.

"We have been very concerned about certain anniversaries, so we just tell our people, both the community and the police, to be more vigilant to prevent an attack," Singapore police commissioner Khoo Boon Hui said. "There is no specific information, but we're always careful."

Philippine national police director general Hermogenes Ebdane said police forces across the region are prepared for any contingency and are closely sharing information to detect any threat quickly.

Such information exchanges have prevented planned bombings by Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) in the Philippines and Singapore in recent years and led to the arrest of suspected members of the Muslim extremist group, Ebdane said.

Ebdane spoke to reporters on the sideline of a conference of top police officials of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which is also being attended by officials from Australia, New Zealand and Interpol.

Southeast Asian governments have been trying to set up a regional security shield through better exchanges of intelligence information, tighter border guarding and joint training to shake off an image that their region is a terrorist hotbed, which has hurt tourism and trade.

Philippine Interior Secretary Jose Lina said in a speech to the conference that nations should expand cooperation and explore innovative ways to thwart attacks because the periodic bombings indicate a long-term threat.

"We should be prepared for a protracted war in the region," Lina said.

Jamaah Islamiyah is believed to be the Southeast Asian ally of al-Qaeda, which has been blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks. JI also is believed to be behind the Oct. 12 bombings which killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, in Bali, Indonesia, and the Aug. 5 attack at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta.

In the Philippines, one concern is a possible attack by the Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent group blamed for recent bombings and based in far-flung hinterlands in the country's south, Ebdane said.

"We're relatively OK," he said. "But in the areas near the places of the Abu Sayyaf that we could not just monitor because they're there... anytime they can do things which we may not be able to prevent."

Indonesian national police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said no threat has been monitored in his country but authorities remain on high alert following recent deadly bombings.

Separately, Philippine and Indonesian army chiefs called on Tuesday for joint regional exercises to boost the antiterror war but other Southeast Asian nations said existing bilateral arrangements were sufficient.

Indonesian army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said the 10 member countries of ASEAN should coordinate efforts and "where possible ... conduct joint operations on how to deal with terrorism."

Such cooperation was necessary to prevent terrorists from moving between countries in the region, he told a joint news conference at the start of a one-day annual ASEAN army chiefs' meeting here.

"Terrorism is an enemy, not only to Indonesia but to the rest of the world. We must fight this enemy together. Terrorism must be wiped out," he said.

Indonesia has been the target of major attacks attributed to the al-Qaeda-linked JI terror network, with last October's Bali blasts killing 202 people and last month's bombing of the Marriott hotel in Jakarta taking 12 lives.

Echoing Indonesia's call, Philippines army chief Lt. Gen. Gregorio M. Camiling said regional military exercises under the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization disbanded in 1977 should be revived.

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