Robert Go, Jakarta – The United States envoy told moderate Muslim leaders in Jakarta yesterday that the Al-Qaeda network is present here and urged all Indonesians to tackle the problem.
Ambassador Ralph Boyce, in a meeting the US Embassy initiated with around 20 prominent Muslim figures, said: "We have been saying since September 11 that Al-Qaeda is in dozens and dozens of countries."
Responding to requests for more proof that terrorists are here, Mr Boyce said: "Just because you cannot see them, it does not mean that they are not there." The envoy argued that Indonesia has to do more in the war against terror, but added that Jakarta has to formulate its own anti-terror programme if it wants to succeed.
He said: "It is an Indonesian responsibility that will have an Indonesian solution. It's not a solution that will be imposed by the United States. For it to have any success, it will have to come from Indonesia."
Mr Boyce's statements came a week after documents leaked by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to Time magazine alleged that an Al-Qaeda operative had used Indonesia to plan terror operations in South-east Asia.
The operative, Omar al-Faruq, reportedly had received help from a number of local radical Muslims in planning assassination attempts against President Megawati Sukarnoputri and a number of bombing attacks both in Indonesia and in the region.
The Time report and subsequent warnings issued by the US Embassy here have sparked an anti-American backlash, with many political leaders saying that the US is once again bullying Jakarta.
Apparently mindful of these reactions, Mr Boyce also said that Washington has not spotlighted Indonesian groups or figures as terrorists.
"There is a misperception that the US has labelled Indonesian groups as international terrorist organisations." He also took pains to assure the leaders that Washington believes the brand of Islam practised by the majority of Indonesia's Muslims "is moderate, tolerant and open".
Some Muslim leaders praised Mr Boyce's initiative in calling the meeting. But many rejected his statements and said that more proof was needed before Indonesians could believe that Al-Qaeda had spread its tentacles here.
Mr Din Syamsuddin, one of the leaders of Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organisation Muhammadiyah, said following the meeting: "We need hard evidence. We hope the US won't continue its accusations or work to destroy Islam in this country. Indonesia wants to work together with everyone, but we will resist all interventions by other countries."