ABC 13/12/01 4:21:01
Osama bin Laden linked to indonesia's sectarian violence
Indonesia's intelligence chief says foreign terrorists, including Osama
bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, are co-operating with local radicals on
Indonesia's Sulawesi island which has been wracked by fighting
between Christians and Muslims.
Lieutenant Geneneral Hendropriyono told reporters after meeting
President Megawati Sukarnoputri that the foreigners are working with
local militant groups, responsible for much of the fighting.
It's the Indonesian government's first allegation that al-Qaeda is linked to
the bloodshed.Muslim militants have repeatedly denied any links.
About 1,000 people have been killed on Sulawesi island in the past two
years in fighting between Christians and Muslims. In the nearby province
of Maluku, about 9,000 people have died in three years of sectarian
warfare.
13/12/01 4:21:01
© 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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