| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| JI sez they boomed Jakarta |
| 2004-09-10 |
| A terror group linked to al Qaeda has purportedly taken responsibility for Thursday's car bombing in Jakarta which killed at least nine people and injured more than 180. An Islamic Web site, www.islamic-minbar.com, has posted a statement attributed to Jemaah Islamiya, the Southeast Asian arm of al Qaeda, claiming the attack as a suicide operation against Australian interests. The blast occurred in central Jakarta just meters outside the heavily fortified gates of the Australian embassy. "We decided to settle accounts with Australia, one of the worst enemies of God and Islam ... and a mujahedeen brother succeeded in carrying out a martyr operation with a car bomb against the Australian embassy", the statement says, according to wire service reports. Although the claim has not yet been verified, the Internet site is known for carrying extremist Islamic content. "We advise all Australians in Indonesia to leave, or we will make it a grave for them, God willing," the statement added, while advising the Australian government to pull out of Iraq. The statement said the Australian government has ignored previous warnings and taken part "in the war against our brothers in Iraq and supported the invading forces." "In the case of (the government) not complying with our demands, we will direct numerous painful blows, God willing, against them and the queue of car bombs will not stop. It is the first of a series of attacks. ... We advise Australians in Indonesia to leave this country or else we will transform it into a cemetery for them," the statement said. The text is signed "Jemaah Islamiyah in eastern Asia -- department of information -- Indonesia. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |