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| Isis seeking to set up 'distant caliphate' in Indonesia, George Brandis warns | Isis seeking to set up 'distant caliphate' in Indonesia, George Brandis warns |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Islamic State is working to boost its presence in Indonesia with dreams of creating a “distant caliphate” in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, an Australian minister warned on Tuesday. | The Islamic State is working to boost its presence in Indonesia with dreams of creating a “distant caliphate” in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, an Australian minister warned on Tuesday. |
| The jihadist group constituted a threat to Australian and western interests, said the attorney general, George Brandis, who spent Monday in meetings between Indonesian and Australian ministers, police chiefs and security officials. | |
| “Isis has ambitions to elevate its presence and level of activity in Indonesia, either directly or through surrogates,” he told the Australian newspaper. | “Isis has ambitions to elevate its presence and level of activity in Indonesia, either directly or through surrogates,” he told the Australian newspaper. |
| “You’ve heard the expression the ‘distant caliphate’? Isis has a declared intention to establish caliphates beyond the Middle East, provincial caliphates in effect. It has identified Indonesia as a location of its ambitions.” | “You’ve heard the expression the ‘distant caliphate’? Isis has a declared intention to establish caliphates beyond the Middle East, provincial caliphates in effect. It has identified Indonesia as a location of its ambitions.” |
| Related: Singapore defense minister: Isis drawing more followers in south-east Asia | Related: Singapore defense minister: Isis drawing more followers in south-east Asia |
| Isis, which adheres to a fundamentalist doctrine of Sunni Islam, has already declared caliphates in several areas outside Syria and northern Iraq where it holds a swath of territory. | Isis, which adheres to a fundamentalist doctrine of Sunni Islam, has already declared caliphates in several areas outside Syria and northern Iraq where it holds a swath of territory. |
| Brandis’s comments follow Indonesian police foiling plans for a suicide attack in Jakarta and arresting radicals linked to Isis. | Brandis’s comments follow Indonesian police foiling plans for a suicide attack in Jakarta and arresting radicals linked to Isis. |
| Three-day raids across Java ending on Sunday saw the confiscation of explosive materials and an Isis-inspired flag as well as nine arrests. | Three-day raids across Java ending on Sunday saw the confiscation of explosive materials and an Isis-inspired flag as well as nine arrests. |
| The extremists were targeting shopping malls, police stations and minority groups across the country, Indonesia’s national police chief said. | The extremists were targeting shopping malls, police stations and minority groups across the country, Indonesia’s national police chief said. |
| Security has been beefed up across the country, with senior ministers from Australia and Indonesia agreeing on Monday to boost intelligence sharing, including on terrorism financing, following bilateral talks in both Sydney and Jakarta. | Security has been beefed up across the country, with senior ministers from Australia and Indonesia agreeing on Monday to boost intelligence sharing, including on terrorism financing, following bilateral talks in both Sydney and Jakarta. |
| The Australian newspaper said that while Australian authorities believed there was little chance Isis could create a caliphate within Indonesia, they were deeply worried the terrorist group may establish a permanent foothold in the archipelago. | The Australian newspaper said that while Australian authorities believed there was little chance Isis could create a caliphate within Indonesia, they were deeply worried the terrorist group may establish a permanent foothold in the archipelago. |
| This could allow it to conduct attacks against western or Australian interests within Indonesia and beyond. | This could allow it to conduct attacks against western or Australian interests within Indonesia and beyond. |
| The justice minister, Michael Keenan, said the rise of jihadist groups had destabilised the security of both countries. | The justice minister, Michael Keenan, said the rise of jihadist groups had destabilised the security of both countries. |
| “The rise of Isis in the Middle East is something that has destabilised the security of Australia, it’s destabilised the security of Indonesia and it’s destabilising the security of our friends and partners, particularly here in the region,” he said. | “The rise of Isis in the Middle East is something that has destabilised the security of Australia, it’s destabilised the security of Indonesia and it’s destabilising the security of our friends and partners, particularly here in the region,” he said. |
| Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, suffered several major bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people. | Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, suffered several major bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people. |
| A crackdown has weakened the most dangerous extremist networks although the emergence of Isis has sparked alarm that Indonesians returning from battlefields in the Middle East could revive them. | A crackdown has weakened the most dangerous extremist networks although the emergence of Isis has sparked alarm that Indonesians returning from battlefields in the Middle East could revive them. |
| Australia is equally concerned at the threat from those being radicalised. Six attacks in Australia have been foiled over the past year, according to the government, but several have not, most recently in October when a police employee was shot dead by a 15-year-old reportedly shouting religious slogans. | Australia is equally concerned at the threat from those being radicalised. Six attacks in Australia have been foiled over the past year, according to the government, but several have not, most recently in October when a police employee was shot dead by a 15-year-old reportedly shouting religious slogans. |