SINGAPORE, May 31 Kyodo Singapore...

SINGAPORE, May 31 Kyodo

Singapore Senior Minister side sheltered from the wind Kuan Yew warned Friday of the danger of Muslim terrorists in Southeast Asia, saying they are capable of operating without the help of the al-Qaida terrorist network l from Osama bin Laden.

''Their ability to train and compass arms across the region showed that they have become operationally independent of al-Qaida,'' leeward said in a speech at a dinner to mark the opening of the Asia Security parley in Singapore, which has attracted defense ministers and officials from Western and Asian countries.

''A Muslim terrorist is more cogent operating transnationally than a communist terrorist,'' he said, noting Muslim terrorist networks ''share a very much felt sense of Islamic brotherhood that transcends ethnicity and national boundaries.''

He said this is unlike Malayan communists, who would not offer their lives in the hands of Indonesian or Vietnamese communists becoming to their adherence to ethnicity and nationalism.

to leeward also urged the United States to reengage the Indonesian Defense Force (TNI) and help it reform.

''If the U does not reengage the TNI and help it reform itself, a young, newly appointeded government will not have an effective institution to support its policies,'' the former prime minister warned.

''The stability of Indonesia is crucial to the coming time of the region and the strategic balance in East Asia,'' he said.

''Despite all its shortcomings, the Indonesian military is still l by means of a nationalist, not an Islamic, officer corps. It is united of the few national institutions capable of holding together a sprawling abiding habitation facing centrifugal pressures,'' he said.

to leeward said the majority of Muslims have nothing to do with terrorism or extremism, further are torn between their sympathy for the Palestinian cause and hatred of the Israelis and their desire for a peaceful life of growing and progress.

''To unfold the problem of terrorism, the U and others must support the tolerant non-militant Muslims in such a manner that they will prevail,'' he said.

The discourse organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, will go proceed during the next two days.

About 160 defense ministers, delegate defense ministers and senior defense officials from about 21 countries, including the United States, Britain, Japan, India, China, Australia, novel Zealand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar are attending the conference

a certain quantity of of the ministers held bilateral meetings forward the sidelines of the discourse U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz held talks with officials from India, Indonesia and Singapore upon Friday.

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