Southeast Asia

There seems to be several situations in Southeast Asia that have the potential of greatly influencing other parts of the world.

One disturbing element in Southeast Asia is the growth of al Qaeda there during the past decade and its link with local radical Islamists (Palmer Pp).

The organization has developed strong roots in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia with Indonesian agents working in close partnership with al Qaeda in promoting terrorism in the region (Palmer Pp). According to Ronald Palmer the "Jemaah Islamiya goal of establishing an Islamic state encompassing Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Southern Philippines is only in its early stages and has been stymied for the time being," however, it appears that the al Qaeda cells which have thus far been discovered may only be the "tip of a terrorist iceberg of unknown dimensions" (Palmer Pp). Local governments face severe challenges to maintain security,...
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