Did U.S. stance provoke blasts?

Did U.S. stance provoke blasts?

The Daily Yomiuri
Asia News Network
Tokyo

A bomb blast at a nightclub in the tourist resort of Bali,
Indonesia, killed more than 180 people and injured hundreds. The
victims were largely foreigners, including Australians and
Europeans. The incident also wounded seven Japanese.

Another bomb exploded almost simultaneously near the island's
U.S. consular office, although it caused no casualties. There is
good reason to suspect that these blasts were targeted at
foreigners on the island. The bombings were the most heinous
incident since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the
United States.

One week earlier, a terrorist explosion set a French oil
tanker ablaze off the Yemen coast.

We are profoundly concerned about whether the series of recent
terrorist attacks is linked to speculation that the United States
is almost certain to strike Iraq. The Bali blasts are certain to
create quite a stir in the international community, amid
speculation that Muslim extremists in Southeast Asia are
successfully working to form a terror network.

Since Sept. 11 last year, Southeast Asian nations have been
campaigning to uproot Islamic extremists. In the Philippines, for
example, counterterrorism troops, with logistic supported from
U.S. forces, have campaigned to root out Abu Sayyaf, a radical
Islamic separatist group responsible for the kidnapping of many
people, including foreigners.

Since late 2001, Singaporean and Malaysian authorities have
been tracking down members of Jemmah Islamia, a group presumably
linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Jemmah Islamia is believed to be headed by a Muslim spiritual
leader in Indonesia. Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri
has been reluctant to clamp down on Muslim extremists. Her
attitude apparently reflects her belief that she needs to
consider Muslim sentiment as the political leader of the world's
most populous Islamic nation.

This has caused many Southeast Asian nations to criticize
Indonesia for its attitude toward Muslim extremists, calling the
nation a "weak link" in the region's antiterrorism efforts.

Meanwhile, the United States is increasingly concerned that
Indonesia is on the way to becoming an important foothold for an
international terrorist network. The U.S. administration has been
urging Megawati to get tougher on terrorism.

At long last, the Indonesian government is stepping up efforts
to fight terrorism. The country should not be made a weak link in
the global campaign against terrorism.

This most recent terrorist incident presents a new challenge
for Japan as it joins the international antiterrorism campaign.

Admittedly, Japan has been playing a role in the international
campaign against acts of terror in Afghanistan under its
Antiterrorism Law. However, it will be difficult for the nation
to take similar action in Southeast Asia unless the terrorist
bombings in Bali is determined to be linked to the Sept. 11
incident.

Indisputably, the government must extend the mission of
Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) units to the Indian Ocean in
mid-November, when the MSDF operations expire under the temporary
Antiterrorism Law. Measures should be taken to create permanent
legislation aimed at enabling Japan to join a global campaign
against terrorism.