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Arthur I. Cyr: Indonesia attacks spotlight a great anti-terrorist nation

A bloody murderous attack in Jakarta, Indonesia has provided the Islamic State with another opportunity to claim victory. They have promptly done so, with a gleeful statement. The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist actions and statements, reports that ISIS, via social media, is taking credit for the attack.

In this case, there really is no meaningful victory for Islamic terrorists, whatever the current state of their collective self-delusion. Four innocent people have died from the attack, including a Canadian along with Indonesians. They are victims to be added to others murdered, including the nearly 3000 killed and thousands injured in the 9/11 attacks.

Indonesia has suffered other terrorist acts. In 2002, the worst attack killed 202 people in Bali, including many foreign tourists who were targets.

The latest attack highlights a major anti-terrorist nation generally ignored by the international media. The United States' handling of this aftermath will be crucial.

By contrast, the mass murder in San Bernardino, California appears to be a crime by freelancers who identify with ISIS. There is no evidence of important direct links or support of their crime by the terrorist group. Efficient modern firearms facilitate killing, even by inexperienced amateurs. Anyone can be a hitman or hitwoman.

After the San Bernardino killings, President Barack Obama turned a shocking but local crime into a major international incident through direct involvement. He highlighted the event in a formal address to the nation from the Oval Office, and then travelled to Southern California. By so doing he diminished the office of chief executive of our nation, and simultaneously opened the door for ISIS plausibly to take credit. This the terror group immediately did, greatly adding to global media attention, and to their prestige in extremist circles.

The Indonesia attack is both a local crime and an international incident of note, carried out in the world's largest nation with a Muslim majority. Geography including trade routes provides Indonesia with strategic significance. The international and foreign policy implications are self-evident, for the U.S. and other nations.

Washington has an opportunity to highlight Indonesia as a success story of stability, modernization and the rule of law. Since former general and long-time autocratic President Suharto was forced from power in 1998, Indonesia has moved to representative government. Freedom House identifies Indonesia as Southeast Asia's freest society since 2006.

Indonesia's international conflicts today are largely technical and legal, notably the maritime disputes which generally involve the nations of East and Southeast Asia. Corruption and repression have faded.

The situation used to be quite different. During the height of the Cold War, Indonesia was regarded as a major pivotal leader among Third World nations. Flamboyant nationalist President Sukarno played the Soviet Union and U.S. off against one another. CIA efforts to bring Sukarno down were frustrated, a sobering experience helpful later in Vietnam. British forces, with Australian and New Zealand allies, did defeat Indonesia attacks on Malaysia.

By the mid-1960s, cooperation between Indonesia and the Soviet Union was moving forward. This development was extremely important in the decision for large-scale U.S. military intervention in Vietnam in 1965. These circumstances are largely forgotten today.

The tragic but relatively small violent attack in Indonesia is likely to boomerang in strong public sentiment against terror groups. This has been the case in Europe, including Turkey, and a range of other nations. Consequently, Washington can strengthen our ties with Jakarta.

All we need is the will, and the skill.

Arthur I. Cyr is Director of the A. W. Clausen Center for World Business at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War: American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia" He can be reached at acyr@carthage.edu.