Indonesia: May 14, 2004

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Malaysia deported, back to Indonesia, an Indonesian (Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Rahman) suspected of being a leader of the  Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group. This sudden move was done just before a Malaysian court was to meet to decide if Rahman should be released from detention. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have been careful about how vigorously they go after Islamic terrorists. Both nations have majority Moslem populations, and many of the Moslems back the more conservative brand of Islam embraced by the Islamic terrorists. But the two governments  also have to face the fact that  Jemaah Islamiyah wants to replace the current governments in the region with an Islamic Republic, run by conservative Islamic clerics (all members of Jemaah Islamiyah, of course.)