The US military may be helping terrorists (again) with direct aid in Indonesia, according to witnesses who report Osama Bin Laden's supporters being flown into provide help with tsunami aid efforts. The Islamic Defenders Front and the Islamic Mujahadin Council were tranpsorted into Aceh by the Indonesian government. Since both of these Bin Laden-affliated organizations were started by the Indonesian governmnet, it comes as little surprise the the governmenet would utilize the assistance of the groups. And while it may not be a surprise that the US government would allow these groups to part of its relief efforts, it should be an outrage nonetheless. The US should not work with or support governments that employ terrorism and religous extremism.
http://www.democracynow.org/article...
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From Democracy Now:
The MMI includes Laskar Jihad a group the went into Malukus and helped spark sectarian fighting between Muslim and Christian peasants, Muslim and Christian militias, in which thousands were killed. This was done to create chaos, which the Indonesian military could then take advantage of. And these groups are openly connected to Bin Laden and espouse that ideology. . . . Some of them are walking around with Bin Laden T-shirts. They go up to foreign reporters and present themselves as Acehnese even though they are not, and James Kelly of the U.S. State Department just said, there's worry that such militants might attack U.S. troops. http://www.democracynow.org/article...
And the same story framed another way:
An extremist Islamic group with alleged Al Qaeda (search) links has set up a relief camp on Indonesia's tsunami-stricken Sumatra island, raising concerns it could stir up sentiment against U.S. and Australian troops helping distribute aid. . . . Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is predominantly moderate but hosts dozens of radical Islamic groups. Non-governmental organizations of all kinds -- religious, political and others -- have rushed to Sumatra to help in the relief effort, many ferried in on Indonesian military planes. http://foxnews.com/story...
Still another perspective:
AUSTRALIAN journalists who witnessed a confrontation between Indonesian soldiers and alleged separatists in tsunami-ravaged Sumatra yesterday were ordered to leave the area and warned not to report on the incident. After being the apparent target of rebel snipers, government soldiers fired into the air and roughed up Indonesians they suspected were Free Aceh Movement (GAM) sympathisers. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story...
So which is it? Is the US being threatened by terrorists? Is the Indonesian government using terrorists to further their goals? Is the US helping terrorists, or the victims of terrorists?
