Bali police on high alert for Bombing anniversary

Police in Bali are going all out to protect visitors from any new terrorist actions. According to the Jakarta Post, 11,500 cops will be on hand, securing the roads surrounding ‘Ground Zero’, in Kuta.

Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.

Police tighten Bali entry points ahead of bombing anniversary
DENPASAR (AP): Police tightened security Wednesday at airports, seaports and beaches on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali ahead of the fourth anniversary of al-Qaida-linked car bombings on two nightclubs that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

Indonesia has been hit by a series of annual attacks since the 2002 bombing, blamed on the Southeast Asian terrorism group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Tourists and family members were to gather on the beach Thursday to remember those killed in the attack and unfurl a 12 kilometer-long (7.5 mile-long) white cloth between the two bombing sites.

The most recent Bali attack was a triple suicide bombing in September 2005, which killed 20 people at restaurants.

Bali police planned to deploy their entire 11,500-member force, including elite anti-terrorism squad and plainclothes policemen to secure this year’s commemorations, said Col. Antonius Reniban.

“We are tightening security at all entry points into Bali,” said Reniban, a spokesman for the island’s police force. “We would not hesitate to take harsh measures against any kind of threat.”

Indonesia, which has more Muslims than any other nation, has arrested or convicted more than 300 militants in recent years.

In my experience with the Bali police, they do well at showing up in numbers, and can block a small street like Poppies II okay. Usually to get into the anniversary ceremony, one has to have one’s bags searched and scanned with a metal detector. This definitely helps, as terrorists are looking for soft targets with minimal chance of interception.

The downside of the Bali Police / Army, is that most of them have little or no security training. They know how to stand around with a gun, looking bored, but not much else. I remember the time John Howard came to Bali, for a ceremony on Kuta Beach. Supposedly there were 5,000 police / army, blocking off the roads and providing security. On the beach, the young soldiers were clueless what to do. Many could not speak English and tourists simply walked anywhere they wanted. I sat about 40 meters from John Howard with a large backpack. I could of got close and done anything I wanted.

Anyway, on the bright side, its great that Bali is providing plenty of manpower, and hopefully those here for the anniversary, will be able to relax and feel they gained from being here.