Terrorism in Southeast Asia
Abstract
Following the defeat of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, U.S. attention turned to radical Islamist groups in Southeast Asia, particularly those in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore that are known or alleged to have ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. For more than a decade, Al Qaeda has penetrated the region by establishing local cells, training Southeast Asians in its camps in Afghanistan, and financing and cooperating with indigenous radical Islamist groups. Members of one indigenous Al Qaeda affiliate, Jemaah Islamiyah, are known to have assisted two of Al Qaeda's Sep 11, 2001 hijackers and have confessed to plotting and carrying out attacks against Western targets, including the Oct 12, 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia. The Bali attack signaled a shift in Jemaah Islamiyah's tactics, from targeting Western military and government installations to focusing on "softer" targets such as tourist resorts, Western businesses, and schools serving Westerners. The Aug 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, thought to be carried out by Jemaah Islamiyah, appears to fit this pattern. Arrests in Thailand and Cambodia in the spring and summer of 2003 may indicate that the network has established and/or stepped up operations in those countries, as well as Laos and Burma. To combat the threat, the Bush Administration has pressed countries in the region to arrest suspected terrorist individuals and organizations, deployed over 1,000 troops to the southern Philippines to advise the Philippine military in their fight against the violent Abu Sayyaf Group, increased intelligence-sharing operations, restarted military-military relations with Indonesia (including restoring International Military Education and Training [IMET]), pledged hundreds of millions in aid to Indonesia and the Philippines, and has signed a multilateral counterterrorism agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 18, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA481160
Entities
People
- Bruce Vaughn
- Larry Niksch
- Mark Manyin
- Richard Cronin
Organizations
- Library of Congress