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Worsening Indonesia mess spells trouble for U.S.
This is troubling.Turmoil in Indonesia is surging onto American radar screens in Washington, D.C. and at the U.S. Pacific Commandâs headquarters in Hawaiâi, where an officer with access to comprehensive intelligence lamented what he called "a chaotic situation." Particularly troubling are terrorist organizations, notably the Jemaah Islamiya, despite the arrest of 130 suspects since a bombing last October that killed 200 people on Bali. The threat of terror, plus other ills, has prevented Indonesia, with the worldâs largest Muslim population, from emerging as a leader of a moderate Islam that many Muslims â and the U.S. â would like. The chairman of a congressional subcommittee on Asian affairs, Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa, asserted that in Indonesia "extremist networks are larger, more capable, and more active than was previously believed." Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of U.S. forces in the region, agreed: "Indonesia is a key battleground in the struggle against terrorism and radicalism." Posted by: kgb 2003-08-04 |
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