Indonesian bombings
Who is behind the latest attacks in Jakarta and what can be done to prevent more strikes?
Terror has once again struck Indonesia.
Simultaneous bombings of the JW Marriot and the Ritz-Carlton, two luxury hotels, shattered the relative calm of Jakarta’s business district on the morning of July 17, 2009.
What the attacks say about the security situation in the world’s third-largest democracy and what can be done to prevent future attacks are questions likely to trouble Susilo Bambang Yudhuyono, the recently re-elected Indonesian president, and his cabinet in the months and years ahead.
The attacks are the latest in a string of bombings since 2000. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but suspicion rests with the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group.
While Indonesian authorities have been pursuing a policy of winning the hearts and minds of radical group members, JI has splintered in recent times.
But other theories are also beginning to gain currency, including the possibility that the attacks were planned and carried out by a group from outside Indonesia.
That would represent a worrying new development for Indonesia, a nation of porous borders with more than 17,000 islands.
On this edition of 101 East we ask if Indonesia can ever rid itself of terror and what could be done to prevent more strikes.
This episode of 101 East aired from Thursday, July 23, 2009.