Indonesia: January 6, 2003

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Tourists arriving in Indonesia has declined 21 percent since the Bali bombing. The loss of jobs has caused a shift in public opinion against Islamic radicals. 

So far, police have arrested sixteen people in the Bali bombing case. Many of the suspects have confessed and provided additional evidence. It appears that there is a radical Islamic organization in Indonesia, something the government has long denied (or ignored). But it also appears that any connections with al Qaeda are casual, at best. But this has always been the nature of al Qaeda, which is more of a trade organization (coordinating public relations and technical information) than a tightly controlled firm.