Jakarta – As it is difficult to curb international terrorism in the country, the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) will focus on fighting its domestic accomplices, agency chief A.M. Hendropriyono said on Thursday.

He said that international terrorism would only be effective in the country if it had local players. "Therefore, these organizations or groups [accommodating international terrorism] should be eliminated," Hendropriyono told reporters after addressing a coordination meeting for Indonesian governors as quoted by Antara.

Asked whether international terrorism had been prospering in Indonesia, he said the country was vulnerable to it.

The intelligence chief, however, refused to divulge information on domestic organizations or groups suspected of involvement with foreign terrorists. "If there are indications, we will investigate. We must promote awareness of suspected groups at home, because international terrorism cannot do anything here without domestic accomplices," he said.

He noted that international terrorism could spread to any country, including Indonesia. "So, we must take care and be prepared. It is ourresponsibility [to fight terrorism]," he said.

Hendropriyono said that in a country where there was tight surveillance, terrorism would recede because it had no room to develop. "Terrorism has a tendency to flourish in a country which is in transition to democracy. So, democratization should be coupled with the promotion of surveillance," he said.

On the increasing arms smuggling into the country, he mentioned the importance of stepping up cooperation with the intelligence agencies of neighboring countries. "It is not practical to fence our house to prevent mice from coming in. It is the nests of the mice that should be found and destroyed," he said, citing that he had started fostering intelligence cooperation with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, including promoting sea patrols, in an effort to stem terrorism and arms smuggling.