Terror Recruiting In Indonesia

CBS' Barry Petersen Reports On A Sales Pitch For Terrorism

(CBS)  It's a sales pitch for terrorism. Video shot in Indonesia and obtained by CBS News is being used to generate donations from rich Muslims, mostly in the Middle East. There is one key target in mind, reports CBS News Correspondent Barry Petersen.

"The United States is seen as enemy Number One of Islam by these people," said Sidney Jones with International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank focused on conflict resolution around the world.

The Bali bombing a year ago was a wakeup call for authorities, especially in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.

It prompted a crackdown across Asia, leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspects, including Riduan Isamuddin - known as Hambali - believed to have masterminded the attack.

But as the video shows, there are plenty more terrorists in training. And one leading expert in Indonesia says the threat is still very real.

"I think this network is bigger and deeper and more extensive than we had any idea of," Jones said.

The network extends across Asia. Experts say there were attacks planned from Indonesia, to Malaysia and Singapore and Philippines - all the way to Thailand.

The CIA believes al Qaeda is among those funding these Asian groups. And terrorism experts say some of the money is being funneled through a Muslim charity in Indonesia called Kompak. But Kompak insists its only job is helping the poor in times of crisis.

Because the government is afraid of offending its Muslim population, cracking down on a well-known charity is not so easy in Indonesia.

Because of the threat of terrorism, the American Club in Jakarta has changed its name to the international club and many Americans have changed the way they live.

"We're careful where we go," said American businessman Tom Castle. "We avoid large gatherings."

And across this region, America's presence in Iraq has become recruiting tool Number One, bringing to the terrorist camps a whole new crop of young people hoping to get Americans in their sights, and ready to kill if and when they do.

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EDITORS NOTE: In a previous version of this story, we misidentified the organization Sidney Jones is associated with. We regret the error.