Terror Warning In Indonesia

[David]

AP


The United States on Friday warned its citizens in Indonesia of a terrorist plot to bomb hotels in the capital, and the country's police chief also cautioned that fresh attacks were likely.

The warning was the latest in a flurry of security advisories in the world's most populous Muslim country, which has already suffered three major attacks by al Qaeda linked militants since 2002.

"The embassy has learned that as of June 1, 2005, there were plans by extremists to conduct bomb attacks targeting the lobbies of hotels frequented by Westerners in Jakarta. The attacks were to occur circa noon on an unspecified date," the embassy said.

The warning contained no more details, but it follows an unspecified security threat that forced Washington to close its diplomatic buildings in Indonesia last week for four days. The United States and Australia have advised their citizens to avoid traveling to Indonesia.

Separately, National Police chief Gen. Dai Bachtiar issued his own warning of an imminent attack. "Their communications show they are intensively planning to launch more attacks," he told reporters, without elaborating.

Authorities blame militants in the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group for three attacks on Western targets in three years: the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings; the 2003 bombing of the Jakarta J.W. Marriott hotel; and last year's attack at the Australian Embassy.