Wonderful Allies in the WOT

This is how Indonesia gets tough on Terrorists. BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific reports on a possible "'Early release' for Bali plotter" It's all a part of Indonesian Independence day. Gotta celebrate nationalism, after all! The sad story:

Bali bomb plotter Abu Bakar Ba'asyir could have his jail term cut under a general amnesty due to be announced next week, Indonesian media report.

Ba'asyir, who is said to lead the Jemaah Islamiyah militant group, was sentenced to 30 months in March for conspiracy over the 2002 attacks.

He may now have his sentence cut along with 53,000 other inmates to mark 60 years of Indonesian independence.

Relatives of some of the 202 people killed in Bali have voiced dismay.

The shortening of sentences for good behaviour may also apply to another 18 of the 24 Bali bombers but not to those sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

A final appeal by Ba'asyir against his sentence had been rejected only last week.

Indonesia is sending mixed messages. Ba'asyir orginally received what many Australians considered an extremely light sentence for a bombing that killed a large number of Australian tourists. When a young Australian woman was caught with a significant amount of pot, however, they blustered about sentencing her for up to twenty years. I don't know if an Indonesian court followed-through on such a harsh sentence, but even the public statement sends the wrong message. Islamo-fascists of Indonesian descent now know their government will give them a pass while Westerners will get hammered. This latest amnesty simply reiterates this self-destructive message.

Meanwhile, Indonesia still struggles to lift up its economy, and is probably hungry for foreign investment. Australian tourism contributes a good deal to the economy. I can't imagine that will continue if Indonesia keeps appeasing its militant muslim factions by castigating Australians. I doubt foreign investors want to risk an investment in a country where the government cow-tows to violent extremists.

Part of Indonesia's response could be payback for Australia's participation in E. Temor's revolution. Indonesia offers amnesty to a notorious islamo-fascist bomber, whose attack killed a large number of Australians, in celebration of Indonesia's sixty years of independence. The world's largest muslim nation sends a message to the West--in particular, Australia--to stay out of its internal affairs.

If this Indonesia's hang-up, then I have three words for them: Get over it! The United Nations, including several non-western nations, recognized E. Timor's declaration of Independence. Australia participated in a peace-keeping mission under the UN Flag. If Indonesia had a problem with that, they should have convinced more members of the general assembly to pressure the security council into withdrawing the UN mandate there. Don't blame the Australians for doing their duty as a UN member.

Islamo-fascists will destroy whatever modern accomplishments Indonesia has achieved. Their government's placation of them only sows the seeds of Indonesian society's own destruction. It also encourages these jihadists to continue their pathological campaign of murder against the West. If Indonesia wants to be considered an ally in the War on Terror, they had better start acting like one and stop sending these ridiculous mixed messages.