Southeast Asia Beats Back al-Qaida

Indonesian boy holds a rose to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Bali bombing in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, Thrusday, Oct, 11, 2007. On Oct. 12, 2002, two bombs ripped through Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people. Most of the victims were foreign tourists. This first major strike by Islamic extremists on Westerners in Asia thrust Southeast Asia onto the front lines of the war on terror. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) (Firdia Lisnawati - AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia's anti-terrorism chief was relaxed as he mingled with the guests on his lawn. Muslim hard-liners swapped tales of al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan and the Philippines. Convicted Bali nightclub bombers feasted on kebabs.

The unusual gathering late last month was a striking example of what has emerged as a key plank in Indonesia's anti-terror campaign: co-opting former militants as informers or preachers of moderation.

The evening party also underscored Southeast Asia's progress in the fight against al-Qaida, five years after a devastating al-Qaida-linked bombing on the Indonesian resort island of Bali stoked fears of a sustained terror campaign throughout the region.

"We approach the terrorists with a pure heart," Brig. Gen. Surya Dharma, the head of Indonesia's anti-terror unit and host of the party, said in a rare interview with The Associated Press. "We are all Muslims. We make them our brothers, not our enemy."

On Oct. 12, 2002, two bombs ripped through Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people. Most of the victims were foreign tourists. This first major strike by Islamic extremists on Westerners in Asia thrust Southeast Asia onto the front lines of the war on terror.

Indonesia has since suffered three smaller attacks, the last also on Bali in 2005, and the U.S. and many other Western governments still urge citizens to avoid travel to Indonesia and the southern Philippines.

But foreign diplomats, analysts and authorities agree that the threat level is significantly lower today.

Police have detained most of the key figures in the region's main militant network, Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah, and rounded up hundreds of other sympathizers and lesser figures.

The few terrorist leaders remaining on the run are still believed to be attempting more attacks, but they have few skilled accomplices left and are likely unable to communicate with them or get their hands on funds, officials said.

"The Indonesian police got their head out of the sand after 2002 and addressed it finally," said Ken Conboy, an American security analyst and author of a book on Jemaah Islamiyah. "They came in a little bit late, but they came in hard."

Muslim insurgencies fester in outlying districts of Thailand and the Philippines, though for now the militants appear mostly focused on local concerns rather than on Western targets.

Still, Asian security officials note they are up against an extremist ideology with deep roots in the region, especially in Indonesia where an Islamic rebellion first broke out 70 years ago.