Here is what we are expected to believe regarding coordinated bombings and mass shootings that took place on Thursday in the capital of Southeast Asia’s nation of Indonesia – an economically and geopolitically crucial state.
We are to believe that the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) – named so because it allegedly exists and primarily operates in Iraq and Syria – is fighting the Syrian government, nonexistent moderates the US claims it is arming and funding to the tune of several billions of dollars a year since 2011, the Iraqi government, the Kurds, Russia, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Iran. And also, allegedly, ISIS is fighting the combined military power of the United States, France, England, Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar.
Yet we are expected to believe that ISIS has the time, energy, resources, and inclination to attack Indonesia in a spectacular, large-scale bombing and mass shooting?
And why? Where does Indonesia fit into the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria?” According to the West’s official narrative, Indonesia doesn’t fit in at all except in the most abstract, ideological way imaginable.
But if you understand that:
1. The US and its allies created ISIS on purpose to fight its proxy wars in the Middle East, North Africa, Central, East, and Southeast Asia for it;
2. The US is NOT fighting ISIS by any means, and is only using the organization’s existence in Syria and beyond to justify extraterritorial military aggression and meddling across the globe;
3. Indonesia has been defying US pressure to join Washington’s proxy conflict with China in the South China Sea and;
4. Indonesia has been fostering closer economic and military ties instead with China itself …
…then ISIS attacking Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta makes perfect sense.
It was punitive. It was also a warning to Jakarta that it has a choice; subjugation by the West, or destabilization.
The same choice was given to Thailand in August of last year when US-Turkish-backed terrorists blew up 20 people in the heart of Bangkok. This was after it became clear that a definite and permanent shift was made by Bangkok toward Beijing, with new defense industry contracts being sought, existing ones being fulfilled, joint military exercises being organized with China to replace Vietnam-era exercises generally held with the US, and massive infrastructure projects being pursued jointly by Bangkok and Beijing.
The attack in Bangkok also took place as it became abundantly clear that US-backed political fronts in Thailand were being rooted out and denied any future opportunities to find themselves back in power.
Likewise, Indonesia – while paying lip service to Washington’s war of words with China in the South China Sea – has been growing perhaps “too close” for Washington’s liking to Beijing.
Jakarta had just signed a multi-billion dollar massive rail infrastructure deal with China. Not only does this bring Indonesia and China closer together, it will continue to do so over many years to come. The deal also came at the expense of America’s allies and geopolitical proxies in Tokyo who also attempted to bid for expanding Indonesian rail infrastructure, but lost out to Beijing.
For now, despite the threats, attacks, and attempts to undermine and subvert Thailand for its geostrategic shift, Bangkok has decided not to capitulate to Washington. It has remained relatively un-confrontational with the US in words, but in actions, it has pivoted away from the US’ own “pivot toward Asia.”
Indonesia now has a choice. Allow the US to leverage this recent attack to reassert both its designs and ambitions upon Indonesia and give its proxy political fronts and proxies scattered across Indonesia’s political landscape, police, military, and business community, or to join Thailand and others in a long-term vision that sees Asians maintain primacy over Asia, not Washington.
