U.S. closes missions after 'specific terrorist threat'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The United States closed its diplomatic missions in Indonesia indefinitely on Tuesday over an alleged al Qaeda-linked terrorist threat, a move that has startled many senior government officials.

"We are shocked by their (U.S.) unilateral decision to close the embassy and consulate over a terror threat," Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a press conference here on Tuesday.

"It would have been better if they (the U.S.) had informed us about the threat before making such a sensitive decision," he added.

U.S. officials were also forced to shut down diplomatic missions in Malaysia, while officials in Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and elsewhere bolstered security around U.S. installations.

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce said Tuesday that credible information about a terrorist threat had forced his government to close indefinitely its embassy in Jakarta and consulate general in Surabaya, East Java.

"While al-Qaeda is on the run, we know that the al-Qaeda network is still far from defeated," Boyce said.

"We received another graphic example of that in just the past few hours, with the news about credible information about a specific terrorist threat against our embassy in Jakarta and the consulate general in Surabaya," he added.

Boyce refused to explain the nature of the threat, who made it and when it was received but promised "to work closely with the Indonesian authorities to deal with the situation".

He said he could understand why there might be skepticism in the absence of details about the threat.

"But if information is compelling enough for me to make the call to close the embassy, I'll do it and I did it," he said, describing the threat as "more than an anonymous e-mail or a phoned-in bomb threat."

Security outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta and its consulate general in Surabaya appeared normal throughout Tuesday.

The closures came just a day before the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., widely believed to have been perpetrated by Islamic extremist Osama bin Laden and his international terrorist network, al-Qaeda.

The embassy also urged American citizens in Indonesia to be extremely cautious, maintain a high level of vigilance, take appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability and avoid facilities associated with the U.S. embassy.

It also canceled a memorial service planned for Wednesday evening at the US-owned Marriott hotel to commemorate the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

Minister Susilo lamented what he termed a unilateral decision, saying that the closures would give the false impression that Indonesia was incapable of ensuring the security of foreigners and their assets here.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa regretted the decision, saying that his ministry had never received any official notification from the U.S. about the closures.

"Jakarta has repeatedly said that it will ensure the safety of foreign assets and citizens in the country. I do not see any reason for the U.S. to make such a decision," Marty said.

Noted Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra said the closures implied that Indonesia failed to provide security for foreigners and that terrorists were at large across the country.

The closures, according to Azyumardi, were the product of an "exaggerated fear" on the part of the United States about the alleged existence of the al-Qaeda network in Indonesia.

The embassy has been closed three times over the past two years for security reasons.

The first closure came just two days after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Last October, it closed again amid mounting demonstrations by hard-line Muslims who threatened to destroy American assets.

In November 2000, the embassy also shut down amid security fears and militant pledges to "sweep" Americans out of the country amid growing antipathy to then U.S. ambassador, Robert Gelbard, among certain Cabinet ministers and legislators.

The U.S. and its allies suspect that Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, could become a hotbed for sympathizers of al-Qaeda despite the fact that most Indonesians practice a moderate brand of Islam.

Meanwhile, the Australian government has also urged its citizens in Southeast Asia to be on high alert following an unconfirmed threat to Australian interests in East Timor on the eve of the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.