Posted on 10/21/2003 11:21:49 AM PDT by HAL9000
SINGAPORE (AP) -- U.S. President George W. Bush paid tribute to Singapore for its tough stand against terrorism Tuesday on the eve of a visit to the bomb-scarred island of Bali to support Indonesia's struggle against al-Qaida-linked groups.Secret Service officials were nervous about Bush's safety during his stay on the island, limited to just three hours at the airport. At least 5,000 police and army troops were on guard, and warships patrolled the seas.
A year ago, militants belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group blew up two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, in the largest terror attack since Sept. 11, 2001. On Monday, Indonesia's security minister warned that a fresh attack was imminent.
Indonesia is considered a key home base for terror groups, with about 2,000 of Jemaah Islamiyah's estimated 3,000 members believed to be there.
Bush's visit to Bali was intended as a gesture of support - both symbolic and financial - for President Megawati Sukarnoputri's efforts to battle terrorism and curb the influence of radical, anti-Western Muslims. He was meeting with moderate Muslim religious leaders to address criticism of U.S. policy in the Mideast.
The Bush administration says Megawati has taken effective steps against terrorism, particularly since the Bali bombings. About 100 Jemaah Islamiyah members have been arrested and 29 people connected with the Bali bombings have been convicted.
"They're moving vigorously," a senior administration official said on Air Force One as Bush traveled to Singapore from Thailand.
However, Jemaah Islamiyah has been able to regroup, appointing dozens of people to carry out new attacks on Western targets in Asia between December and April, a senior Indonesian intelligence adviser told The Associated Press. The organization also has filled the leadership vacuum created by the arrest of Riduan Isamuddin Hambali, a key figure in the Bali bombing and Osama bin Laden's alleged point man in Asia, with a new operations chief and top bombmakers, intelligence officials said.
Bush's trip to Singapore also was intended to reward an ally for anti-terror efforts. Singapore has arrested more than 30 suspected Islamic militants since 2001 on suspicion of plotting to blow up the U.S. Embassy and other Western targets. Meeting with Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Bush praised him as a wise leader.
"They recognized that much headway had been made in disrupting terrorist networks but agreed that more needed to be done and that the campaign against terrorism required a sustained, long-term effort," Bush and Goh declared in a joint statement.
Bush also thanked Goh for Singapore's help in Iraq's reconstruction, including training for the Iraqi police.
The president flew to Singapore from a 21-nation summit in Bangkok, Thailand, where regional leaders pledged to crack down on terror groups but did not explicitly endorse a new U.S.-led diplomatic initiative to end a yearlong nuclear standoff with North Korea.
And North Korea snubbed its nose at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum by firing a short-range missile - possibly two - in a military exercise.
However, the leaders gave support to the resumption of six-country negotiations to resolve the North Korean crisis. The call was made by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the annual meeting's chair.
The Bush administration seems Indonesia's success as crucial to stability in Southeast Asia and wants to help, said the official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.
The United States is giving Indonesia $25 million for security services, including $12 million for police training in counterterrorism efforts. Washington also is supporting Indonesia's moves toward democracy, sending about $24 million to support elections next year.
Bush was also eager to correct what the administration says has been a mischaracterization of U.S. policy.
Anti-American sentiment is rampant in Indonesia - with a huge decrease in recent years in those with favorable views of the United States, as many are furious over the U.S.-led war in Iraq and U.S. policy in the Middle East. While Megawati is viewed as an ally in the war against terror, she told the United Nations last month that the war created problems than it was supposed to solve.
While in Bali, Bush was meeting with leaders of the two largest modern Muslim organizations in Indonesia, representing 70 million adherents, the rector of Islamic State University, the chairman of the Indonesian Community of Churches and a Hindu leader.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press, All rights reserved
The Secret Service must be sweating bullets...
Like right out of a Tom Clancy novel.
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