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U-S says Indonesia has to be concerned about risk of terrorists

The United States military chief for the Pacific, Admiral Dennis Blair, says Indonesia has to be concerned about the risk of international terrorists infiltrating and setting up operations.

Mark Bowling reports the U-S chief also says Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore should work together to prevent terrorists from attacking shipping in the strategic Straits of Malacca.

Admiral Blair says that in a country like Indonesia, made up of many islands, it's difficult to control sea boundaries and there has to be concern that international terrorists could inflitrate. There are reports that terrorist groups aligned to Osama bin Laden operate in Indonesia, but there's no firm evidence. Admiral Blair says patrolling the international waters of the Straits of Malacca should be coordinated by the three nearest countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Security analysts have warned that the 900 kilometre long waterway is vulnerable to attack by terrorist groups. Any blockage of the Straits could have disastrous economic effects on the south east Asian countries, which rely heavily on maritime trade.

27/11/01 22:00:42 | ABC Radio Australia News

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