Steve Quayle News Alerts

October 14, 2002
By Grant Holloway, CNN Sydney

CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- Australia will take "measured, sober and effective" action, in league with Indonesia, to catch those responsible for Saturday's bomb attacks in Bali that killed more than 180 people, most of them Australians, Prime Minister John Howard has said.

In a special address to national parliament in Canberra Monday, Howard said two senior ministers were travelling to Bali, and then on to the Indonesian capital Jakarta, to work with authorities there in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

This would occur "against the backdrop of the memorandum of understanding on terrorism" between Australia and Indonesia signed more than six months ago, Howard said.

At least 187 people are confirmed dead -- among those identified are 14 Australians, five Britons, and two Americans -- and hundreds more injured and unaccounted for after bomb blasts ripped through a nightclub in the Kuta holiday resort area of Bali on Saturday night.

Howard moved a special motion to express outrage over the attack and to offer condolences for the families and friends of the victims.

'Vile crime'

"The 12th of October 2002 will for the rest of Australian history be counted as a day when evil struck with indiscriminate and indescribable savagery," Howard said.

"This is a vile crime which has claimed the lives of as yet an uncounted number of Australians on Indonesian soil," he said. "All of us have a right to feel a sense of deep anger and a deep determination to do everything we can as a nation and as a community with the government and the people of Indonesia to bring those who are responsible for this crime to justice."

Australia would be offering all available assistance to Indonesia over the Bali attacks, Howard said, noting the enormous impact the attacks would have on the Indonesian people and its economy.

"This wicked, evil act of terrorism has not only taken the lives of Australians, but also many of the innocent people of Bali," Howard said.

"Those who did this are no friends of Indonesia," he said.

Howard said nothing could excuse the attacks which he described as the "unprovoked slaughter of innocent people".

Security review

Following a meeting Monday morning of the National Security Committee, Howard said the government would be reviewing Australia's domestic security legislation and the capacity of the nation's counter-terrorism units.

Security legislation was strengthened earlier this year as a response to the September 11 attacks, and two new anti-terrorism units were also formed recently.

Howard said Australia had been concerned "for some time" about extremist groups in Indonesia, a concern which was shared by the United States.

This concern had been "regularly conveyed to authorities in Indonesia", Howard said.

Howard earlier urged Indonesia to allow other nations to help them deal with terrorism in the archipelago.

Sensitivities

He told radio listeners he respected Indonesian sovereignty and understood the sensitivities involved but said there needed to be a "willingness" for Indonesian authorities to sit down and discuss ways to deal with the terror problem.

The prime minister stressed that the war against terror must continue in an "uncompromising fashion", adding that to retreat from it would not purchase immunity from attacks.

He also emphasised that the war on terror was not a war on Islam.

Speaking in response to Howard's resolution, opposition Labor party leader Simon Crean called for Australia to host a regional summit on terrorism to help address the issue and spur greater international co-operation in the fight.

Howard also proposed a national day of mourning on Sunday for those killed and injured in the blasts, and suggested a national memorial service would also be held at a later time.

"I am saddened beyond words of proper description by what has happened," Howard said.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/10/14/bali.australia/index.html