The urgency of an imminent terrorist attack in Southeast Asia, specifically, Indonesia first came to light on December 14, 2004, when Australia issued a travel warning against visits to Indonesia , including Bali. The announcement was echoed quickly by warnings issued by New Zealand on December 15, and subsequently by Britain , Japan , and even the United States (Advisory). Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer then publicly claimed, “We have received credible new information suggesting terrorists are ready to carry out an attack shortly in Indonesia, possibly targeting a Hilton hotel.” This warning blindsided Indonesian security officials who noted that the Australians had failed officially to communicate the threat, but police have, nonetheless, deployed an additional 18,400 personnel for Christmas and New Year to protect churches and entertainment centers. Security at the three Indonesian Hilton hotels was augmented by private guards and the installation of more metal detectors and closed-circuit TV systems.

The terrorism threat posed to the hotel, travel, and tourist industries worldwide is striking. Earlier this year, the Terrorism Research Center drafted a White Paper on ?Terrorist Intentions as a Part of the Threat to Hotels and Resorts.? (This report is available by contacting Jennifer) The study surveys relatively unique features of hotels and resorts and compared these features to the goals and intentions of six terrorist group types to derive a matrix of terrorist incentives and disincentives for attacking these locales. It highlights the fact that hotels fall victim to terrorist attacks for a variety of reasons including: a) hotel buildings and management companies are the actual target of the attacks; b) hotels are frequented by desirable targets such as diplomats, business travelers, and tourists and, thus, serve as a keen location for attacks on other targets; and c) hotels are frequently located near prominent government buildings, embassies, cultural locations, and business and often sustain collateral damage from attacks on nearby targets. Perhaps most significantly, the study concluded that religious extremist terrorist groups, such as al-Qaida and Jemaah Islamiya (JI) , are judged to have the highest number of incentives and least number of constraints to attack hotels or resorts.