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Powell's Claims of Al-Qaeda Operatives in Malaysia Stirs Agitation
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's comment on Wednesday that the U.S. was looking closely into al-Qaeda's suspected links in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, stressed nerves throughout the country, say reports from Kuala Lumpur.
U.S. officials in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that Osmam bin Laden's al-Qaeda network has been bolstering religious insurgencies in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and that Southeast Asia has become a major operational hub for the terrorist network.
Powell, in a move to gain greater support from governments in the region, reportedly said the U.S. suspected that al-Qaeda still had operatives and links in Southeast Asia.
He did not say how the U.S. would handle that problem, if it really existed, but Kuala Lumpur newspapers were talking of possible strikes against targets in the country.
Powell did not directly mention any nations suspected to be in collusion with terrorists.
The bin Laden family has a prawn farm in the state of Kedah which was the target of inquiry and a possible military strike during the U.S. assault on the al-Shifa pharmacy in Khartoum, Sudan, in 1998.
Rumors, usual in Kuala Lumpur, speculated that the U.S. was ready to deal a blow to military installations, and possibly Islamic centers, around the peninsular.
However, the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore on Thursday said United States military action in Southeast Asia was unlikely.
Ambassador Frank Lavin told news agencies that any U.S. action in Southeast Asia to curtail terrorism would likely involve moves such as coordinating to fight money laundering, not direct military strikes.
Lavin said the U.S. would work with governments in Southeast Asia if any anti-terrorist action were needed in the region.
Critics of the U.S. in Malaysia believe though that the threat came after the Malaysian premier, Mahathir Mohamed, adopted a neutral attitude by desisting from joining the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign.
Mahathir said the United States government should inform Malaysia officially about alleged terrorist bases connected to bin Laden, saying it would not be proper for a foreign power to interfere in Malaysia's internal affairs.
"We want to know from them [the U.S.] who the terrorists are, and to which group they belong. From the report, it appears that they know more about what is happening in our country, than us.
"If they really know of any terrorist group, they should inform us," said Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Home Minister.
Asked if the report would have serious repercussions on U.S.-Malaysian relations, Abdullah said: "People should not overact to things like this."
He said if it was a statement of the U.S. State Department or someone like the Deputy Defense Secretary, it should be taken seriously.
Asked to comment that the U.S. would stage overt and covert operations in Malaysia, he said: "Even if this was true, they should not interfere in our affairs. We do not welcome anything that smacks of interference."
He said the U.S. had asked for increased security at its embassy and Malaysia had complied with the request.
Malaysia is now bracing for possible mass protests on Friday after the opposition Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) declared a
jihad (struggle) against the U.S.
Most countries in Southeast Asia have condemned the September 11th attacks in the U.S.
But some people in the region have staged anti-American protests since the attacks against Afghanistan; with many saying the U.S. unfairly blamed Muslims for the attacks in the U.S.
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