NCJ Number
194966
Journal
Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security Int'l Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 16-20
Date Published
2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the infiltration of radical Islamic terrorists in Indonesia and the United States’ attempt to dismember these militant Islamic terrorist groups and organizations.
Abstract
The rise of Islamic causes and aspirations in Indonesia has been linked to the economic struggles and increased poverty in the country. Islamic fundamentalist support reached its height in 1998 with the fall of the dictatorship. The center of Islamic militancy in Indonesia has been the bloodshed between Muslims and Christians in the Moluccas which began in 1999. With a rise in Muslim Indonesian militants, a connection was exposed between the militants and the global jihad network of al-Qaeda. Due to signs of al-Qaeda operations in Indonesia, the United States is taking an active part in paying closer attention to regions where Islamic militancy is being used and attempting to dismember these militant groups. Due to the current instability of Indonesia, there is fear of creating fertile ground for international terrorists, militant Islamics, drug traffickers, and organized crime.