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| Sunday, 28 August 2005 |
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Al-Qaeda to attack Asian money centers Aug 27 (AFP) - Asia-Pacific financial capitals reacted calmly Friday to a report one of them could be hit by an Al-Qaeda terrorist attack but officials said the region was prepared for the worst. The Financial Times quoted French anti-terrorist supremo Jean-Louis Bruguiere as saying cities like Tokyo, Singapore or Sydney could be attacked by Al-Qaeda to undermine investor confidence in the region. But Asian governments have long been aware of the danger and dealers said financial markets were largely unaffected by the British newspaper's report. US allies in particular have been on guard since the Al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington in September 2001, followed by bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines blamed on the Jemaah Islamiyah group. Subsequent attacks in Madrid and London also heightened fears that an important metropolitan center in the Asian region could be next. "The market seems to have ignored the terrorist threat," a dealer with a local brokerage in Singapore said Friday, adding the city-state was still seen as a "safe haven" by investors. But armed police now patrol Singapore's MRT train system and
entertainment districts frequented by foreigners. Guards from the legendary
Gurkha forces armed with assault rifles and curved daggers protect key
foreign embassies. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sounded a somber
note during the country's 40th independence day celebrations this month,
urging his people to be "psychologically prepared" for an attack after the
July 7 London blasts. |
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