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American Morning
Interview with Ralph Boyce
Aired October 14, 2002 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The question of the morning now, are the Bali bombings linked to al Qaeda? This morning there is concern that the group is opening up a new front in the fight on terror right now. This is the world's largest Muslim country, Indonesia, that being, and now the U.S. reevaluating its presence in the world's most populous Muslim nation. All non-essential embassy personnel ordered to get out. All Americans in the country are being advised to leave.
The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Ralph Boyce, joins us now live from the capital city of Jakarta.
Ambassador Boyce, we say good evening to you on the other side of the world.
Is there evidence that you have or been told, anyway, either from Indonesian authorities, including the defense minister, who earlier today said there was a definite link to al Qaeda and what the U.S. investigators are coming up with right now, is that link a definitive deal?
RALPH BOYCE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA: I just heard the report from the defense minister before we went on here, so I can't really comment on what is behind that. He has come out and said that publicly. So my own feeling is that it's perhaps a little bit early in the process to draw any definitive conclusions. They're still very much dealing with the scene down in Bali itself at this point and it's very much a rescue and an emergency kind of a situation.
HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, have you gotten the cooperation you would like from the Indonesian government to crack down on terrorism within its own borders?
BOYCE: Since September 11 of last year, the Indonesians have made it very clear that they support the war on terror. Their policy has never wavered. But what our challenge has been has been to sort of translate that into facts on the ground. And facts on the ground, unfortunately, in this kind of a war, have been very hard to come by.
Only within about the last month have we picked up much more detail, very specific information about the nature of al Qaeda's presence not just in Indonesia, but in Southeast Asia as a region, and we've been intensely working with the government to try to deal with that fact and enhance the cooperation that we have enjoyed up to date.
The horrific tragedy over the weekend, of course, telescopes that process and I think what you're seeing coming out of the Indonesian government today is a significant enhancement of their political will to deal with this problem.
HEMMER: Political will is one thing, might is a completely different thing. What have they done since September 11 to do exactly what you're saying, clean up the act?
BOYCE: Well, yes, they've worked very closely with us in the area where much of the war on terror turned after the events in Afghanistan, which was much of a military campaign, and that is, in the law enforcement, in the intelligence, in the information sharing area. We've been able to isolate and pick up and remove some al Qaeda individuals from Indonesia and it has been from the interrogation of some of those individuals that our factual information over the past month has been greatly enhanced. And it's been because of the Indonesian cooperation in the first place that we were able to get access to some of these individuals.
HEMMER: Yes, but will Jakarta crack down or will it bend and acquiesce to the Muslim extremists who operate in parts of that country for fear of inciting more violence and more unrest in the country?
BOYCE: Well, you've certainly articulated the question of the moment. I think what's important for all of us to realize is that overwhelmingly, Indonesia is not a radical hotbed, by any means. The Islam that's practiced here has a well deserved reputation for being moderate, open and tolerant. Indonesia, in fact, it's not a Muslim state per se, it's a secular state. And I think that the radical sentiments that you sometimes see coming out of here, and all too often, I think, are seen in scenes of demonstrations and violence, represent a tiny minority of the overwhelming sentiment in this country.
Now, how the government moves in the coming days and weeks to address this obvious problem now will be a test of whether what I've just said is, in fact, going to hold so.
HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, what about U.S. interests, people either working or living in Indonesia, embassy workers, tourists, etc.? What's your message now -- get out or be careful?
BOYCE: Well, both, in a way. We have a message that's just come out today based on what happened over the weekend where we have decided to draw down our embassy staff significantly, send our families home for the time being. I would call this more erring on the side of caution than anything else. But I think the events of the weekend showed us that these individuals that are out there are prepared to go after soft targets. And so our job is to reduce that pattern.
Now, what we're advising Americans who are contemplating travel to Indonesia is that all but the most essential travel should be deferred for the time being. And, again, this is an advisory. This is advice from us, or a travel warning, actually. Americans who are in Indonesia, non-official Americans, we have strongly urged them look at their own security situation and to consider leaving, as well.
HEMMER: Wish you the best of luck.
And to you, stay safe, as well.
Ambassador Ralph Boyce, U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, residence in Jakarta.
Thank you, sir.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 14, 2002 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The question of the morning now, are the Bali bombings linked to al Qaeda? This morning there is concern that the group is opening up a new front in the fight on terror right now. This is the world's largest Muslim country, Indonesia, that being, and now the U.S. reevaluating its presence in the world's most populous Muslim nation. All non-essential embassy personnel ordered to get out. All Americans in the country are being advised to leave.
The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Ralph Boyce, joins us now live from the capital city of Jakarta.
Ambassador Boyce, we say good evening to you on the other side of the world.
Is there evidence that you have or been told, anyway, either from Indonesian authorities, including the defense minister, who earlier today said there was a definite link to al Qaeda and what the U.S. investigators are coming up with right now, is that link a definitive deal?
RALPH BOYCE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA: I just heard the report from the defense minister before we went on here, so I can't really comment on what is behind that. He has come out and said that publicly. So my own feeling is that it's perhaps a little bit early in the process to draw any definitive conclusions. They're still very much dealing with the scene down in Bali itself at this point and it's very much a rescue and an emergency kind of a situation.
HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, have you gotten the cooperation you would like from the Indonesian government to crack down on terrorism within its own borders?
BOYCE: Since September 11 of last year, the Indonesians have made it very clear that they support the war on terror. Their policy has never wavered. But what our challenge has been has been to sort of translate that into facts on the ground. And facts on the ground, unfortunately, in this kind of a war, have been very hard to come by.
Only within about the last month have we picked up much more detail, very specific information about the nature of al Qaeda's presence not just in Indonesia, but in Southeast Asia as a region, and we've been intensely working with the government to try to deal with that fact and enhance the cooperation that we have enjoyed up to date.
The horrific tragedy over the weekend, of course, telescopes that process and I think what you're seeing coming out of the Indonesian government today is a significant enhancement of their political will to deal with this problem.
HEMMER: Political will is one thing, might is a completely different thing. What have they done since September 11 to do exactly what you're saying, clean up the act?
BOYCE: Well, yes, they've worked very closely with us in the area where much of the war on terror turned after the events in Afghanistan, which was much of a military campaign, and that is, in the law enforcement, in the intelligence, in the information sharing area. We've been able to isolate and pick up and remove some al Qaeda individuals from Indonesia and it has been from the interrogation of some of those individuals that our factual information over the past month has been greatly enhanced. And it's been because of the Indonesian cooperation in the first place that we were able to get access to some of these individuals.
HEMMER: Yes, but will Jakarta crack down or will it bend and acquiesce to the Muslim extremists who operate in parts of that country for fear of inciting more violence and more unrest in the country?
BOYCE: Well, you've certainly articulated the question of the moment. I think what's important for all of us to realize is that overwhelmingly, Indonesia is not a radical hotbed, by any means. The Islam that's practiced here has a well deserved reputation for being moderate, open and tolerant. Indonesia, in fact, it's not a Muslim state per se, it's a secular state. And I think that the radical sentiments that you sometimes see coming out of here, and all too often, I think, are seen in scenes of demonstrations and violence, represent a tiny minority of the overwhelming sentiment in this country.
Now, how the government moves in the coming days and weeks to address this obvious problem now will be a test of whether what I've just said is, in fact, going to hold so.
HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, what about U.S. interests, people either working or living in Indonesia, embassy workers, tourists, etc.? What's your message now -- get out or be careful?
BOYCE: Well, both, in a way. We have a message that's just come out today based on what happened over the weekend where we have decided to draw down our embassy staff significantly, send our families home for the time being. I would call this more erring on the side of caution than anything else. But I think the events of the weekend showed us that these individuals that are out there are prepared to go after soft targets. And so our job is to reduce that pattern.
Now, what we're advising Americans who are contemplating travel to Indonesia is that all but the most essential travel should be deferred for the time being. And, again, this is an advisory. This is advice from us, or a travel warning, actually. Americans who are in Indonesia, non-official Americans, we have strongly urged them look at their own security situation and to consider leaving, as well.
HEMMER: Wish you the best of luck.
And to you, stay safe, as well.
Ambassador Ralph Boyce, U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, residence in Jakarta.
Thank you, sir.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
