Expert says PM's wrong on Bali motivation

An expert on Jihadist extremism in Indonesia has disagreed with the Prime Minister's view on the motives of the Bali bombers. The South-East Asian director of the International Crisis Group, Sidney Jones, has also warned of a new Islamic special forces unit. Prime Minister John Howard says Saturday night's bombings in Bali were aimed at destabilising the Indonesian Government.

But Dr Jones has told ABC TV's Lateline she does not agree.
"I don't think they think in those political kinds of terms," she said. "Nor do I think that their aim is to undermine a democratic system per se. "I think they very much see the world in a black and white way, us against them, Muslims against infidels. " that the infidels led by the United States as part of a Christian-Zionist conspiracy are out to persecute and attack and eliminate Muslims around the world, and therefore, have to fight back."

However, Dr Jones agrees with the Prime Minister's view that Australians were probably not specifically targeted in the latest attack. "I think probably the reason that Bali was chosen this time round again is because after the last two bombings in Jakarta, it was mostly Indonesian Muslims that died and at least in Bali you have a chance of getting a few foreigners," she said. "I doubt very much whether they had the intention of going after Australians per se."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1473775.htm