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.