It claims ties between Indonesian groups
and al-Qaeda are being discovered at an "alarming rate" and
asserts that Osama bin Laden's network has identified the
troubled archipelago as a vulnerable link in the region.
"Most southeast Asians returned and set
about committing themselves to running jihads at home,
recruiting followers in an attempt to create Islamic states
governed by Sharia law," says Dr Abuza's report, Tentacles of
Terror - al-Qaeda's Southeast Asian Network
Citing an Indonesian intelligence briefing,
the report says: "Both of them were clearly impressed by the
lack of
security, the support and extent of the Muslim
population.
"This visit was part of a wider strategy of
shifting the base of Osama bin Laden's terrorist operations from
the subcontinent to southeast Asia."
Australian officials yesterday described
the report as credible and "extremely well-informed".
