Boyce holds meetings amid 'worsening security'

Boyce holds meetings amid 'worsening security'

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amid reports of escalating threats against United States
diplomats in Indonesia, Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce has held a
series of meetings with high-ranking Indonesian officials,
apparently to highlight U.S. security concerns.

After meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Indonesian Military
(TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto earlier this week, Boyce
met Friday with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda.

The series of meetings appears to confirm the report released
by The Asian Wall Street Journal Friday which in part said that
the U.S. embassy may begin to evacuate non-essential embassy
staff in Indonesia for security reasons.

Against this backdrop, the U.S. State Department released on
Thursday a "worldwide caution" public announcement regarding "the
continuing threat of terrorist actions" in light of the recent
audio tape attributed to Osama bin Laden.

The report also revealed that Washington now considers the
current grenade blast near the U.S. embassy residence in Jakarta
as targeting American officials and ordered by Indonesian Muslim
cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who has been accused of operating a
terrorist group in Southeast Asia called Jemaah Islamiyah.

Boyce, after meeting with Hassan, refused to touch the
evacuation issue and simply stated that the U.S. government
expected a "good conclusion" out of the ongoing investigation
into the blast.

"Because the grenade went off near the U.S. embassy residence,
of course we are concerned and we convey this concern to the
Indonesian authorities," Boyce said

A grenade exploded near the U.S. embassy residence on Sept.
23, and the police have arrested two men as suspects in the
incident, while a third suspect died in the blast.

Soon after the explosion, police and the U.S. embassy said
that there was no indication American officials were targeted and
it was a debt collection gone awry.

However, during his statement Friday, Boyce indicated the
earlier assumption was wrong and the incident may have targeted
American officials.

Also on Friday, National Police Spokesman Insp.Gen. Saleh Saaf
said that the investigation has yet to link the incident with Abu
Bakar.

The U.S. government has continued to react strongly to
perceived security conditions in Indonesia, issuing a five-day
shutdown order last month for the embassy and a travel warning
for Yogyakarta and Surakarta.

An official at the Indonesian foreign ministry told The
Jakarta Post that the U.S. may be worried about a possible
backlash should they launch an attack against Iraq before the
beginning of the Muslim fasting month on Nov.7.

The official said the attack against Iraq may provide
justification for so-called terrorist groups to threaten the
safety of the American officials here.