Deadly bombings across Southeast Asia have created a climate of fear and mistrust in the region, prompting Western governments to warn about the dangers of traveling there.

Intelligence agencies say Muslim separatist groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia and Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines have answered the call to jihad, or Holy War, and embarked on a series of attacks targeting Western and commercial interests in the region.

While the vast majority of Muslims denounce violence and reject the jihad call, experts say that bin Laden's al Qaeda network is offering support and funding to these terrorist groups -- with destructive results.