8pm eastern...Indonesia Islamic bunch calling for the distruction of US Embassy. Let me tell you....lot easier to give them a swipe with the same brush. They are kind crowded down there, ya know what I mean? The Aussies are primed and ready to go, jump off from Darwin. Taz

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

Answers

Via Drudge

Monday October 8, 6:22 AM

U.S. warns of possible evacuation from Indonesia JAKARTA (Reuters) - The United States on Monday warned its citizens to prepare for a possible evacuation from Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, after U.S.-led forces struck Afghanistan.

Foreign schools closed indefinitely on Monday and the United States and Australian embassies issued pre-dawn warnings to their nationals to stay at home amid fears of anti-Western protests.

"We have been contacted by the embassy. They told us not to leave our homes... and to await instructions for possible evacuation," one U.S. citizen told Reuters.

Extra police and a water cannon were posted outside the U.S. ambassador's inner-city home, but there was no sign of increased security outside the already heavily protected embassy across Merdeka (Freedom) Square from the presidential palace.

U.S. embassy officials could not be immediately contacted for comment. The mission was due to be closed on Monday for the U.S. Columbus Day holiday.

A special bulletin to its citizens from the Australian embassy said: "It is likely there will be demonstrations and other forms of protest against Western citizens and interests in Indonesia."

It did not refer to evacuation, but added: "Should any further steps be considered necessary in the light of reactions in Indonesia, citizens will be advised promptly."

There are several thousand Americans and Australians in Indonesia.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri has expressed Jakarta's support for Washington's war on terrorism.

But Indonesia has been racked by growing anti-U.S. sentiment after Washington focused the first phase of its war on Islamic Afghanistan, where Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind of the September 11 suicide hijack attacks on the United States, is sheltering.

About 90 percent of Indonesia's 210 million people follow Islam.

Although Indonesian Islam is generally moderate, some hardline groups have hunted for Americans to expel them and warned other foreigners to leave. Others have threatened to attack the embassy and hundreds of men have signed up to help defend Afghanistan in a holy war.

Indonesian authorities have warned they will not tolerate any retaliation against foreigners, but the ability of its poorly trained and under resourced police to guarantee the safety of expatriates is uncertain.

Frightened foreigners have been leaving Indonesia over the past few weeks after Washington authorised the voluntary evacuation of non- essential staff and dependents.

Tens of thousands of foreigners were evacuated from Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, amid the political chaos surrounding the 1998 fall from power of autocratic President Suharto.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001