Were U.S. Interests Bomb's Target?

American interests may have been the target of an apparent suicide bombing attack outside the Marriott hotel in downtown Jakarta on Tuesday, says a top Indonesian official.

A U.S. official said the blast appeared to be the work of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group.

The blast killed 13 people and wounded 149 — including two Americans. CBS News Correspondent Steve Holt reported that one American had been treated and released, while the other was still receiving care.

The attack targeted the Indonesian capital's business district, which is near many embassies and a popular place for foreigners to stay.

Indonesia's Vice President Hamzah Haz said the car bomb might have targeted U.S. interests in the country. The Marriott is a regular venue for U.S. Embassy receptions. American officials for the past two years held 4th of July celebrations there.

Haz called the blast a "diabolical and inhumane terrorist attack," adding: "We cannot allow any space for terrorism."

The government ordered strict security checks at the airport and other public places, and Indonesian Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said officials would announce stronger measures Wednesday.

The bomb went off when thousands of Jakarta workers were on the street for their lunch hour. The area around the Marriott was covered with broken glass and pools of blood.

"People were screaming, panicking," said Sodik, a man who like many Indonesians goes by one name who was having lunch on the 27th floor of an adjacent building. "I thought it was an earthquake."

The Indonesian Red Cross put the death toll at 13 and said 149 people were wounded.

Some of the casualties were security guards stationed in front of the Marriott and nearby offices. The adjacent Rajawali building houses Scandinavian embassies, but no staff there were injured.

Among the dead was Hans Winkelmolen, the Dutch president of PT Rabobank Duta Indonesia, a company spokeswoman said. The bank is majority-owned by Rabobank of the Netherlands.

Two Singaporeans, two Chinese, one Australian and one New Zealander were wounded, according to the official Antara news agency.

Mellanie Solagratia, a Marriott spokeswoman, said most damage appeared to have occurred in the hotel's basement and second floor. She said the 330-room hotel was 77 percent occupied Tuesday.

The hotel's lobby plate glass windows were shattered, as were some upper-floor windows. Chairs and tables were strewn about the badly damaged lobby, and several cars smoldered outside.

Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said officials suspected the explosives were placed in an Indonesian-made Kijang van, adding that its chassis number had already been discovered along with the vehicle's registration number.

He said body parts were found near the wrecked vehicle, and that police were investigating whether they were those of bystanders or the suspected attacker.

Bachtiar said he could not confirm it was a suicide bomb, but the blast occurred when the vehicle was moving and blew a hole in the ground one to two yards deep.

Jakarta governor Sutiyoso, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, said it was "very likely" a suicide attack.

No one immediately took responsibility, but the blast came two days ahead of a verdict in the trial of a key suspect in the Oct. 12 Bali nightclub bombings, which killed 202 people.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tuesday's attack showed characteristics of past violence by the Jemaah Islamiyah. He said it was a trademark of the group to cause as many deaths as possible, though he stressed that most casualties appeared to be Indonesians, not foreigners.

On Tuesday, the terror group's alleged leader, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, began testifying in a Jakarta courtroom in his trial for a series of Christmas Eve church bombings three years ago.

On Thursday, a court in Bali was scheduled to deliver its verdict in the trial of Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, accused of planning and carrying out the Bali bombings with other alleged members of Jemaah Islamiyah.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government has arrested scores of alleged Jemaah Islamiyah members since the Bali attacks, and Tuesday's bombing amplified fears that militants are trying to strike back at her administration.

Last week, Megawati vowed to destroy the terrorist networks responsible for a series of bombings across the world's largest Muslim nation, saying her government would "dismantle the terrorist network to its roots."

Australia, which lost 88 citizens in the Bali blasts, denounced Tuesday's bombing as "a brutal terrorist attack" and warned its people to avoid central Jakarta.

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta strongly condemned the attack and said a State Department travel advisory for Indonesia remained in effect.

"Private Americans are at risk as well as embassy personnel," embassy spokesman Tim Gerhardson said, adding that U.S. authorities were still confident in the Indonesian government's ability to rein in terrorism and protect American interests.

In June, the State Department warned American travelers of "ongoing terrorist threats in Indonesia" and advised that "U.S. citizens should defer all non-essential travel" to the country.

"As security is increased at official U.S. facilities, terrorists will seek softer targets," the warning continued. "These may include facilities where Americans and Westerners are known to live, congregate, shop, or visit, especially hotels," and similar facilities.