Author: Barbie Dutter in Sydney
Publication: The Daily Telegraph,
UK
Date: November 1, 2002
Vice-President Hamzah Haz of Indonesia
warned Australia yesterday that an anti-terrorism offensive against Indonesian
Muslims in Australian cities could damage relations between the two countries.
He was referring to a series of
raids aimed at flushing out sympathisers of the militant Muslim network
Jemaah Islamiah.
The Australian government staunchly
rejected criticism of the sweep, in which heavily armed intelligence agents
and police have stormed homes in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, seizing documents,
computer equipment and mobile phones.
The only arrests to date have been
in connection with visa violations. Three men have admitted attending lectures
given by Jemaah Islamiah's spiritual leader, Abu Bakar Bashir, during the
cleric's visits to Australia, but denied direct links to the group, which
is strongly suspected of orchestrating the Bali nightclub bombings that
killed 191 people, including 88 Australians.
