Agencies in Jakarta and Baradan Kuppusamy in Kuala Lumpur – A radical Indonesian Muslim group said yesterday it would attack the US Embassy and seek the expulsion of Americans in Jakarta if Washington carried out revenge strikes against any Islamic nation.

"If the US carries out its threat in the form of military aggression against any Muslim states then the FPI will perceive it as an act of terrorism," said Al Habib Muhammad Riziq Syihab, head of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). "It means that we will attack the US Embassy," he said, adding the group also would seek out American citizens to have them expelled if any attack took place.

The FPI is a small but aggressive group that has been behind several attacks in the past year on bars and nightclubs, including some known to be popular with foreigners.

Police, who have beefed up security at the US Embassy in Jakarta since last week, dismissed the threats. "We don't think this is a serious threat ... no one has a right to conduct sweeps except security forces and no one has a right to attack any buildings in the name of religion," Jakarta police spokesman Anton Bahrul Alam said.

In a letter published in the Singapore Business Times, the US Ambassador to Jakarta, Robert Gelbard, said recent comments by two former senior Indonesian officials cautioning the US against wrongly apportioning blame "could create an atmosphere of misunderstanding and hatred, rather than one of compassion".