HONG KONG -- The wake-up call has been loud and clear. As the alarm sounded, it confirmed that terrorism in Southeast Asia is a problem in need of attention. The most urgent wake-up call did not come from the southern Philippines, where around 650 U.S. troops are now being deployed as Washington opens a second front in its war against terrorism. It came in well-ordered Singapore.
The alarm sounded after videotape of key Singapore sites was discovered in Kabul. Made by a terrorist with ties to al-Qaeda, the video detailed how to attack U.S. servicemen and naval ships visiting Singapore and how to try to blow up the U.S., British, Israeli and Australian embassies and high commissions.
If the Singapore government's security apparatus had any doubts about the new threat that it faced, the video has ended them. Even before Sept. 11, Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew had been worrying about the problem posed by rising Islamic militancy in the region. He raised it with top Malaysian ministers when visiting Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 3.