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Southeast Asia
200 militants sent to bomb 'Israel's vital interests'
2006-08-04
More than 200 Islamic militants from Southeast Asia have
been sent on missions to bomb Israel's "vital interests" and countries that support the Jewish state, their leader said on Friday.

The militants have been trained to carry out suicide bombings to avenge Israel's military strikes on the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, said Suaib Didu, chairman of the Jakarta-based ASEAN Muslim Youth Movement.

"We will limit our targets to Israel's vital interests and those that support Israel's aggression in Palestine and Lebanon," Didu said. "We will not carry out attacks indiscriminately."

Hardline militant groups in Indonesia have made claims in the past of sending volunteers to participate in conflicts overseas that have sometimes proved exaggerated.

Western countries such as the United States and Britain, as well as businesses, could be targeted unless they cease supporting Israel, he said.

Didu said the group was watching Australia's position on the Middle East conflict.

"If John Howard makes a statement in support of Israel, he will be a target," Didu said.

More than 3,000 people have signed up for the mission, and 217 people from Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore have been dispatched abroad so far, he said.

A "show of force" of the more than 3,000 volunteers will be held on Saturday in Pontianak in West Kalimantan province on Borneo island, Didu said, adding that many of the 200-plus militants had fought with Afghanistan against the Soviets.

Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the moderate Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization, said Thursday that threats by radical Muslim groups to send volunteers to fight Israel were just "symbolic gestures" to show solidarity with the Palestinians and Lebanese.

"There are too many obstacles for these people to travel there. It is too costly and the Israeli army is no match for them," he told reporters.

But in Canberra, Human Services Minister Joe Hockey said Friday the government was not shrugging off reports of the plans to carry out suicide bombings.

"The minister for foreign affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs are investigating what is reported in the papers today and we are treating it very, very seriously," Hockey told Australian television.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#14  It looks like an invitation to leave their sisters and girl friends in the hands of the chairman. You see, he had to stay home because 72 wasn't enough for him.
Posted by: rammer   2006-08-04 22:42  

#13  It this isn't an invitation for Muslim Youth Movement leaders and members to go boom in their homes while sleeping, then I don't know what is.
Posted by: ed   2006-08-04 17:56  

#12  Thanks, I see, the Beirut Bob syndrome is at work--flaming seas of fire, yada yada yada.
Posted by: JohnQC   2006-08-04 16:14  

#11  Israel guards its borders pretty well. I can't imagine they'd be permitted off the airplanes or through the border crossings. They're just engaging in histrionics for the girls back home.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-08-04 16:09  

#10  JohnQC, they would target targets outside Israel, withing Israel that would be suicide.

Wait....
Posted by: twobyfour   2006-08-04 15:57  

#9  More than 200 Islamic militants from Southeast Asia have
been sent on missions to bomb Israel's "vital interests" and countries that support the Jewish state, their leader said on Friday.


Won't these splodadopes sort of stand out in Israel?
Posted by: JohnQC   2006-08-04 15:54  

#8  We used to have the basic capacity OS; it was called the CVA or Attack Aircraft Carrier. And while far from supersonic speeds and mass distances, it mere presence would cause the bad guys to rethink what was happening. And the aircraft then carried had a range AND capacity for many miles and many pounds of bombs. Think Intruders and a dark stormy night, low level and 15K worth of dumb bombs hung on each one. Toss in a couple of KA-6D tankers and they had the legs and ability to go in low and deliver a nasty wake up call to whoever deserved it. The Lawn Darts just don't have the legs or capacity for that many bombs and with IFR now the province of the USAF (and a couple of S-3As and/ or Lawn Darts with a buddy store), we are reduced to hitting the beach and that's about all. No more far inland flights. Yeah the A-6 was about as stealthy as a barn door and nowhere near as sexy as the Lawn Dart or anything the AF has, but for pure boom/ pound, only the BUFF beat it. (I am not a fan of the Hornet, can ya tell?)
Posted by: USN, ret.   2006-08-04 14:40  

#7  We need to build a new bomber - one that can carry hundreds of dumb, iron bombs inside its bomb bay, fly around the world twice without refueling, and penetrate just about any airspace in the world with impunity. Every time one of these splodeydopes goes "boom", his home town should be visited by ten or twelve of these new bombers, during the wee hours of the morning. Sooner or later the splodeydopes will learn not to target US or allied interests, or there won't be anyone left alive to be a splodeydope. That seems to be the only message they really understand, so we should send it to them.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2006-08-04 14:13  

#6  Not to mention that they also threatened Australia's John Howard.

Posted by: danking_70   2006-08-04 12:02  

#5  So Israel is winning.
Posted by: plainslow   2006-08-04 11:38  

#4  "We will not carry out attacks indiscriminately."

If organizations have to distinguish their future plans from their past actions in this manner, it should confirm that the term “Youth Movement” has opposite connotations in different parts of the world.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2006-08-04 11:38  

#3  Maybe the favour needs to be returned?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2006-08-04 11:04  

#2  This type of action helps to paint targets on all Muslims. Moderate Muslims (hopefully not a mythological being)must purge themselves of the splodeydopes or suffer the consequences at some point.
Posted by: SR-71   2006-08-04 10:46  

#1  Any chance they'll experience a premature BOOM before they arrive to a designated area in Lebanon or Gaza?
Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden   2006-08-04 10:16  

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