NEIGHBORS II

Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian terrorist group linked to Al-Qaida is believed to have sent an assassination squad to target Western diplomats in Indonesia.

JAKARTA - Operatives from the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network have reportedly entered Indonesia in recent weeks to mount an assassination campaign against Western ambassadors in the country.

The Wall Street Journal (WASH) said that the Al-Qaida-linked group was also targeting foreign businessmen and Indonesian public figures as it switched tactics from bombings to assassinations.

Indonesian officials, responding to the report, said there had been speculation that militants could use snipers or even resort to shooting at close range at mainly Western targets.

So, have our lovely neighbors offered extra guards for embassies and consulates? Of course not, they've reacted like they always do, with denial:

The Indonesian Government has cast doubt on media reports claiming Islamic militants are planning to assassinate Western ambassadors in Jakarta.

"These reports are not backed by solid evidence," said Marty Natalegawa, an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman

The spokesman adds:

"We in Indonesia are becoming increasingly familiar with rumors of this sort, which turn out not to be accurate," he told BBC News Online.

"Then, when they prove not to be true, the damage to Indonesia tourist industry has already been done," he said.

So, they're worried about their tourism declining because of terrorism. What could they do to improve the tourist situation? Personally I would feel safer in traveling to Indonesia if I thought they didn't have incompetent security forces and a government that was soft on terrorism.