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Indonesoian terror threat rising: analyst

A new report says that another militant Islamic militia has emerged in Indonesia, heightening the terrorist threat.

The new group, Mujahidin Kompak, was formed by hard-liners who split from Jemaah Islamiyah, considered al-Qaeda's affiliate in Southeast Asia, according to the report, which was written by Sidney Jones, widely considered the leading authority on Jemaah Islamiyah.

The emergence of the group, and an examination of its acts of violence in Central Sulawesi, "suggests a need to revise assessments about the nature and gravity of the terrorist threat in Indonesia," Jones writes in the report, which was released on Tuesday by the International Crisis Group. "While the shorter term prospects are somewhat encouraging, there is an under appreciated longer security risk."

The new organization presents a possible new partner for al-Qaeda, she said.

This is the sixth report about Jemaah Islamiyah and terrorism in Southeast Asia by Jones, an American who speaks fluent Bahasa Indonesian. American, Australian and Asian intelligence and police officials are in general agreement that she has done a better job of understanding and analyzing the organization than they have.

In the 41-page report, Jones puts in a footnote on one of the most arresting facts: the date of the founding of Jemaah Islamiyah, Jan. 1, 1993. This comes from a document Jones says she obtained, and it will surely make many Indonesian officials uncomfortable who continue to insist that Jemaah Islamiyah does not exist.
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