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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