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.