West warns of possible attacks in Indonesia

Australia warned travellers on Saturday that attacks could be staged against Western interests before the end of the year.

The Web site, called Anshar El Muslimin (www.anshar.net) and purportedly set up under orders from a key Asian militant, shows in diagrams how to shoot foreigners in Jakarta or throw grenades at motorists stuck in the city's notorious traffic jams.

Police have called the Web site a "work of terror."

"We continue to receive reports suggesting that terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests in Indonesia," Australia said on its Web site www.smartraveller.gov.au.

"Recent new information suggests that terrorists may be planning attacks to occur before the end of 2005."

The militant Web site, written in Indonesian, has suggested assassinations could be staged in Jakarta's Kuningan area on streets or pedestrian overpasses. The area includes the Australian Embassy, the Ambassador Mall and JW Marriott Hotel.

Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda launched suicide car bombs on the Marriott Hotel in 2003 and outside the Australian embassy last year. Those attacks killed 22 people combined.

The US embassy in Jakarta in a message to Americans said the Web site indicated militants were changing tactics.

"In addition to past information which indicated that terrorists would target specific businesses or buildings, the new information shows that terrorists are likely now planning to attack Westerners riding in cars or walking on streets, sidewalks or pedestrian overpasses in Jakarta," it said.

"The embassy considers that the information on the Web site was developed by persons with serious terrorist intent." Great Britain issued a similar warning.

Indonesian police said the Web site was set up by one of three men named as suspects this week over the October 1 restaurant bombings on Bali that killed 20 people.