<
--------------
STRATFOR.com
--------------
THE INTERNET SOURCE FOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE
If it’s in the news, it’s too late...
Regional Al Qaeda Threat Extends Beyond Southeast Asia
October 17, 2002
Summary
The recent bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines have focused international attention again on East Asia as a potential al Qaeda stronghold. Southeast Asia in particular is rife with groups and individuals sympathetic with or tied to al Qaeda, and the current small-scale actions are likely to continue. But the rest of the region is not outside the realm of possible al Qaeda targets.
Australian investigators inspect the remains of the car believed to have carried the explosives used in the bombing of a Bali nightclub, October 17, 2002. President George W. Bush and Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri agreed on Thursday that the deadly Bali bombings required a 'swift and decisive response,' the White House said.
Image Credit: Jonathan Drake -- Reuters.
Analysis
With the recent bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines, international attention once again is shifting to Southeast Asia -- the so-called second front in the war against terrorism. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are all prime locations for groups sympathetic with or linked to al Qaeda to operate, and Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar also have elements of regional Islamic militant groups within their borders.
With al Qaeda stepping up its operations against the United States and its coalition partners, attacks targeting foreigners and foreign interests in Southeast Asia -- like the Bali bombing that left untold numbers of foreigners dead and the bombing that killed a U.S. soldier in the southern Philippines -- are likely to increase. These operations, rather than being the work of a central al Qaeda planning cell, more likely are executed by local groups acting on their own or with the blessings of the top al Qaeda leadership.
But beyond the expected soft targets in Southeast Asian nations with large Muslim populations are other potential targets in East Asia against which al Qaeda might choose to carry out a major, centrally planned operation. Two countries in particular present appealing targets: Australia and Japan.
+++++++ NOTICE +++++++
This is an abbreviated version of a full-length STRATFOR report previously seen by our Members. To access STRATFOR's complete range of in-depth, objective intelligence and analysis on the globe, including our award-winning daily full text and graphics reports, click here and become a Member today!
->OR<-
Sign up here to receive our free daily briefing of important international events!
+++++++ NOTICE +++++++
(Story Source)
(c) 2002 Stratfor, Inc.
Dan
Regional Al Qaeda Threat Extends Beyond Southeast Asia . . .