Suicide bombings in December?

Suicide bombings in December?

From Media Indonesia

The planned suicide bombings in Indonesia's international
hotels and alien settlements in December 2003, said to have been
based on Indonesian intelligence information as quoted by The
Sunday Times and The Strait Times, have triggered more polemics,
speculation, interpretation and caused anxiety.

Some people have alleged that such reporting was just a
conspiracy by foreigners to create socio-political chaos in
Indonesia. Therefore, in order to prevent the information from
being attributed to the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), it
denied that the information carried in both papers had come from
its officials.

Apart from the actual source of this information, there are
positive aspects to ponder. First, the public will always be
alert against the danger of terrorism. Second, the need has
arisen to consolidate and reorder the working system of
Indonesian intelligence for earlier detection of terrorist
actions. Third, common understanding will develop among social,
political, legislative and executive leaders concerning their
shared responsibility to deal with terrorism.

We should avoid prejudice, mutual suspicion and baseless
arguments by adopting an objective attitude. The fact that our
country has lately become a target of terrorist operations should
be admitted as our common weakness. Meanwhile, the legislative
and executive circles themselves have not developed the same
vision and perception regarding this matter.

YUNITA T. MUHIDIN
Jakarta