Posted on 09/09/2004 3:39:18 PM PDT by naturalman1975
TERRORISTS struck at Australia's embassy in Jakarta yesterday, exploding a massive car bomb that killed nine people and wounded 160.
No Australians died in the blast, but it is believed two embassy workers were taken to hospital.
Those killed were mainly Indonesians, some of them embassy security staff, cut down in the road by the explosion just 4m from the front gates of the compound.
Sickening pictures showed a little girl being carried from the scene, her body torn to shreds.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer described the bombing as an attack on Australia.
"It is clearly a terrorist attack," Mr Downer said.
"It was outside the Australian embassy. You would have to conclude that it was directed towards Australia."
Mr Downer flew to Jakarta last night with Australian Federal Police chief Mick Keelty and a team of AFP and ASIO officers.
Prime Minister John Howard vowed to track down the bombers while Labor leader Mark Latham suspended campaigning for the federal election out of respect for the dead.
Australians in Indonesia concerned for their safety were advised to consider leaving.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said all non-essential travel to Indonesia, including Bali, should be deferred.
The car bomb ripped apart the heavily fortified gates of the embassy, shattered thousands of windows and left a deep crater in the road outside.
A plume of smoke rose above the scene as terrified officer workers ran for safety, dragging wounded friends and colleagues behind them.
The huge blast, heard up to 15km away, tore the glass fronts off nearby office towers and showered flying glass into the embassy building.
"I thought it was an earthquake," said Yuni Sasi, 27, as she sat sobbing in the street
.
A police post outside the embassy gates was completely destroyed.
Afterwards, the road was littered with bloodied corpses, charred debris, glass and the twisted wreckage of motorcycles, cars and a police truck.
Hospital officials last night said 11 people were killed, including three policemen and five foreigners.
In the immediate aftermath of the bombing:
SUSPICION fell on Jemaah Islamiyah bombmaker Azahari Husin, who has been linked to numerous bombings including the Bali attack that killed 202 people in 2002.
PRESIDENT Megawati Sukarnoputri cut short a visit to Brunei to inspect the bomb scene and call for calm.
QANTAS called in bigger aircraft to help bring Australians home from Indonesia.
Mr Howard said Australia would not be cowed by the deadly attack.
"This is not a nation that is going to be intimidated by acts of terrorism," he said.
Australia last week followed the US in upgrading travel warnings to Indonesia.
"We had some advice a few days ago of a possible terrorist attack in Jakarta focusing on Western-style hotels . . . but we didn't have any information of a specific attack on the Australian embassy," Mr Downer said.
Security experts were divided on the intent of the bombing, with speculation it could be related to the outcome of the Australian federal election on October 9, the next stage of the Indonesian presidential elections on September 20, or the anniversary of September 11 on the US.
An embassy worker who was inside the building said several Australians were injured by flying glass and debris.
"There's a huge crater out the front," he said.
"The police truck normally stationed outside has been blown up. The police booth directly out the front has been completely destroyed."
As rescue workers arrived at the chaotic scene, a police officer ordered people back.
"Get out of the way. You are stepping on evidence. There are flesh, bones, and remnants all over this place. Back off," he said over a megaphone. The fortress-like embassy building recently upgraded its security and is one of the best protected missions anywhere in the world.
But the force of the blast tore a hole in the tall fence made of thick metal tubes that surrounds the embassy.
Indonesian police said the bomb was bigger than that used in the August 2003 attack on Jakarta's JW Marriott hotel, which killed 12, and which has also been blamed on JI.
"From the investigation so far, it is estimated that it was a car bomb because at the site of the incident bits of a car wreck were found," said Indonesia's police chief Da'i Bachtiar.
Minutes after the blast, dazed survivors desperately tried to locate colleagues and missing family members.
"I can't find my family," said Suharti, who had eight relatives working in the heavily-guarded mission.
"I am terrified. I don't know where they are," she said.
One office worker said she saw many bodies. I don't know how many, but they looked like security guards. I worry that all the guards died."
Sobbing security guard Ritabi said: "My friend Anton just died, my friend Anton just died. He was a security guard."
Mr Downer said there was no doubt that the blast was a terrorist attack aimed at Australia and said it looked like the work of Jemaah Islamiyah.
"It's the view of the Indonesian National Police that this bombing had all the hallmarks of a Jemaah Islamiyah operation," he said.
Mr Howard played down fears that terrorists might strike on Australian soil to disrupt the election campaign.
"No government can guarantee that they won't, but what a government can guarantee is that . . . every effort is made to maintain effective security," he said.
"But I equally do not want to suggest that because of what has happened in Jakarta then some incident is going to occur in Australia -- that would be wrong."
Mr Latham said he would not make any party political observations in relation to the bombing. "It's a time for Australians to pay their respects to these citizens who have lost their lives," he said.
"This is just the horror and blatant stupidity of terrorism, that they're killing people who've got no greater sin in life than getting about their ordinary day and that's the whole inhumane, indecent nature of what they do."
President Megawati called for calm after visiting scores of victims at a Jakarta hospital.
"I ask people to come together to fight terrorism," she said.
"I express my condolences for this incident and condemn this terrorist action. Security matters must be overcome together. Stay calm but stay alert and we will take care of our own security."
Jailed cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is accused of heading Jemaah Islamiyah, condemned the attack through his lawyer. "I'm very upset. I'm against all bombings like this," he said.
- with AAP
BTTT
JI's at it again, killing and injuring 90 percent innocent Indonesian Muslims in order to make a headline and cause a fright among the well-protected Westerners.
All of the above. Thanks to Spain, which caved in to terrorism in their elections and withdrawal of troops...
Your point is well taken. It is JI's intent to disrupt any non-hostile relations between Indonesians and Westerners (or non-Muslims in general).
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