Man charged over bomb hoax
Police have charged a 50-year-old Sydney man after a bomb
hoax at Townsville airport overnight.
DFAT declares Surabaya terror risk
Saturday 22 March 2003, 6:30 PM
Australia has warned it had credible information terrorist groups known
to target Westerners were planning an attack in Indonesia's second
largest city in the next day or so.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advised Australians
not to visit Surabaya, which has been the scene of street protests over
US-led military attacks on Iraq.
The attacks are believed to be planned for on or around
tomorrow.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises that it has
credible information that terrorist groups with a history of targeting
Westerners and Western interests may be planning terrorist activity on or
about 23 March in Surabaya, Indonesia," DFAT said in a
statement.
Australians were warned not to travel to Surabaya and those already there
should stay home and exercise extreme caution.
They should avoid commercial and public places frequented by foreigners
including clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels, schools, fast food outlets,
shopping centres, places of worship, public transport and any buildings
associated with foreign interests.
The Australian Embassy in Jakarta has issued a bulletin to Australians in
Indonesia warning of the danger.
Australia issued a general travel warning to Indonesia following the Bali
bomb blasts on October 12 last year which killed more than 200 people,
nearly 90 of them Australian.
"We continue to advise Australians to defer non-essential travel to
Indonesia including Bali," DFAT says.
Australia committed 2,000 troops to the US-led war on Iraq, making it
part of the focus of anti-war protests in Jakarta.
The Australian embassy said Australian interests known to be in Surabaya
included three military personnel providing maintenance for Nomad
aircraft Indonesia purchased from Australia, an Indonesian national who
is an Austrade official, an education centre associated with a local
university and a West Australian trade office.
The DFAT advice did not elaborate on which group might launch an
attack.
Key suspects in the Bali bombing had admitted to being connected to the
Jemmah Islamiah terrorist network, which is the most serious group to
have targeted Westerners.
Security analysts and Western diplomats say they cannot be confident that
the network has been closed down since several of its senior members,
including spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir, Bali bombing planners Muklas
and Imran Samudra, and operatives Amrozi and Ali Imron, were arrested
following the October 12 attack.
On Friday, a senior Western diplomat also expressed concern that Iraqi
agents acting for Saddam Hussein's regime may be active in
Indonesia.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/22/1047749985822.html
