Australia warns of 'specific threat' in Jakarta

Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer today said the government had received information warning that some areas of the Indonesian capital Jakarta could be bombed, and urged its citizens to leave.

The government upgraded its travel advisory to Indonesia late yesterday to include that it had “received reports that crowded areas (in Jakarta), including upmarket entertainment areas, should be avoided”.

“The nature of the specific threats in Jakarta is threats of bomb attacks in those certain suburbs against Westerners,” Mr Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

“On the basis of intelligence we’ve received, it’s very important we draw people’s attention to the risk.”

The warning comes after Australian officials said on Thursday that they had “disturbing new information” indicating terrorist threats against Westerners and Western interests in Indonesia and urged Australians there to consider leaving.

Yesterday, the government said all non-essential Australian diplomatic staff in Indonesia could leave the country if they wished.

The government has been accused of failing to advise Australian travellers adequately about US intelligence warnings of heightened threats against foreigners in Indonesia ahead of last Saturday’s bombing on the island of Bali, where more than 180 people died.

Prime Minister John Howard has denied the suggestions, and yesterday rejected criticism that his government was now overreacting.

Also today, Mr Downer dismissed suggestions by the head of Australia’s Anglican Church that the Bali bombing was payback for the government’s support of the US position on Iraq.

Dr Peter Carnley said late yesterday that with Australia offering public backing to US President George W Bush’s campaign against Iraq, it was only a matter of time before Australian lives were sacrificed in some form of retaliatory action.

Mr Downer said that for Dr Carnley to have such a theory, he must first know who was behind the Bali attacks.

“At this stage we think it is likely but we’re not entirely certain that al-Qaida people working with indigenous Islamic extremist groups like Jemaah Islamiyah are responsible for the attacks,” he said.

“If Archbishop Carnley has further information for us, we’d obviously very much appreciate it.”