| AN assassination squad of Jemaah Islamiah terrorists is believed to have slipped into Indonesia to target Australian diplomats, businesspeople and other Westerners. The move by JI, the group responsible for the Bali bombings, may signal a dramatic shift from general bombings to assassinations. A group of operatives, trained to carry out assassinations, has arrived in Indonesian in recent weeks through East Kalimantan province from Mindanao in the southern Philippines, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. At the top of their target list are the Australian, American and British ambassadors, as well as other senior officials from those embassies. Australian and other Western businesspeople are also believed to be targets, especially in the mining and energy industries. The Australian, US and British embassies are reportedly now insisting that embassy staff vary their travel routes to and from work, and also their arrival and departure times. |