JAKARTA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Terrorists might launch
strikes during the visit of U.S. President Bush in Indonesia on Nov. 20 to send
messages of hatred against the United States for its policies in the Middle East
and Iraq, according to military intelligence.
The military spokesman Rear Admiral Moh. Sunarto said
here Thursday that the military intelligence has found indication of threat from
the terrorist groups during the Bush visit.
"We have predicted and anticipated for the move," he
told a press conference at a military office here.
The spokesman said that the military, which hold the
command of the security that also involved at least 18,000 police personnel, has
been preparing security at a top level.
But, he declined to give further detail over the
strength of the troops.
A large number of terrorist suspects under the
coordination of Noerdin Moh. Top, the top leader of the Al-Qaeda linked militant
network in Southeast Asia, the Jemaah Islamiyah, are still at large in
Indonesia, the police has said.
Noerdin has many times escaped from police pursuit
and kept conducting recruitment for further plots in the most populous Muslim
country.
Besides, a huge number of explosive materials, the
remainders of those used for the embassy explosion in Jakarta in 2004, is still
in the terrorist hands, police has said.
Resistance over the visit of President Bush has
mounted in the country, particularly from the Islamic community, which accounted
for about 87 percent of the country's 240 million population.
The two biggest moderate Muslim organizations of the
Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muhammaddiyah have also expressed their disagreement on
the visit, following frequent small protests from radical groups recently.
The visit, however, has also got a rare support from
about one hundred and fifty people in Bogor, a scenic town in a foothill of
Jakarta.
Indonesia has been hit by series of major suicide
bombings and most of the attacks had been on the western targets, such as the
Bali Bombing in 2002, Marriot hotel explosion in 2003 and the Australian embassy
bombings in Jakarta 2004.
Expert has warned that terrorists in the country
always be prepared for attacks and wait for a favorable
moment.
Related story: Philippine president hails arrest of veteran coup plotter
MANILA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Thursday ordered police authorities to further step up investigation into the destabilization attempts against her government while asking for the trashing of all coup threats in the country into the dustbin of history.
Arroyo made the call after a veteran coup plotter and former senator, Gregoria "Gringo" Honasan, was arrested by police Wednesday in a hiding place in Quezon City, Metro Manila, after nine months of hiding over rebellion charges.