(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Australia think terrorist attacks in Indonesia are the main threat to their country’s national security, according to a poll by Essential Research. 35 per cent of respondents share this point of view, while 23 per cent fear local extremists more.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Australia think terrorist attacks in Indonesia are the main threat to their country’s national security, according to a poll by Essential Research. 35 per cent of respondents share this point of view, while 23 per cent fear local extremists more.
North Korea’s nuclear tests by are third on the list with 14 per cent, followed by the war in Afghanistan with eight per cent, the war in Iraq with four per cent, and Iranian nuclear capability with three per cent.
The Jemaah Islamiya (JI) militant group has been blamed for a series of terrorist attacks, including the October 2002 bombing in Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. The network—which has been linked to al-Qaeda—intends to create an Islamic state comprising Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and southern Thailand.
On Jul. 17, bombs exploded at two luxury hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia, killing seven people, including three Australians.
On Jul. 31, Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd called the perpetrators "cold-blooded", adding, "Let me say very clearly on that, we, the Australian government, will spare absolutely no effort in working with Indonesia to track down these murderers."
Polling Data
Which do you think is Australia’s top security threat?
|
Terror attacks in Indonesia
|
35%
|
|
Local extremists
|
23%
|
|
North Korea nuclear tests
|
14%
|
|
The war in Afghanistan
|
8%
|
|
The war in Iraq
|
4%
|
|
Iranian nuclear capability
|
3%
|
|
Don’t know
|
12%
|
Source: Essential Research
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,005 Australian adults, conducted from Jul. 21 to Jul. 26, 2009. No margin of error was provided.
