British death toll rises (BALI UPDATE)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | October 14, 2002 | The Daily Telegraph

[MadIvan]

Thirty-three Britons are now believed to have been killed in the Bali bombing, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has confirmed.

Mr Straw said that "we are as certain as we can be" that there were 18 Britons among the dead. He said that there were another 15 Britons still missing who were also believed to have been killed in the explosion

Mr Straw said that it was "highly probable" that the car bomb attack which ripped through a nightclub was the work of Islamic extremists but it was too soon to know whether Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda network was involved.

"I think it is highly probably that it is the work of terrorists who claim the faith of Islam," he said. "It could be linked to al-Qa'eda but I haven't got any evidence of that."

The Foreign Secretary said that four experts from the Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism branch - SO13 - was due to arrive this morning in Jakarta to help with the investigation.

He said that they would be linking up with counter-terrorism experts from Indonesia and Australia. The "appalling outrage" in Bali underlined the need to carry on the fight against international terrorism.

"The whole of the civilised world is vulnerable to this kind of unspeakable terrorist atrocity," he said. Mr Straw is due to leave for Washington where he will hold talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

[blam]

At War With EVIL

[backhoe]

Let's cross-link it:

-The Bali Horror- a partial Archive--

[lavrenti]

I've returned to my initial reaction after these bastards nearly killed me on 9|11, which is:

"In three centuries, when the word "American" (let's add "European") is uttered in their lands men will loosen their bowels, women will scream and gnash their teeth and children are thrown under blankets for safety."

‘Nuff said.

[Brian Allen]

<< Before we act irresponsibly, perhaps we should wait to see what will be the FRench position. [It is] a very important player in world affairs. >>

And the Fijian and Tongan positions.

Ah-Hah! Got it: The FRench have surrendered, have all taken down their trousers, have bent over and are waiting for the Germans to arrive.

And the Tongans and Fijians are sitting under a tree preparing the kava.

[SauronOfMordor]

You want to suicide bomb something or car bomb something? What do you suggest?

For a start, I think the majority-non-Muslim population of Bali would like to be independent from Indonesia at this point. I say we help them get independence, and expel all the Muslims out of Bali.

If each terrorist incident results in Muslims being expelled from the West, and having their territory shrink, eventually they will get the message that terrorism is counter-productive. Eventual world domination is central to Islam. Anything that results in them LOSING ground and CONTRACTING their domain of control, will strike at the heart of their theology

[OldFriend]

Not exactly funny comments.

Indonesia has been at the center of vicious islamic fundamentalist terror against all things Christian for years now.

There has been no attempt to stop these terrorists, perhaps thinking appeasement is the answer, cowardice, or a compliance with the goal of eliminating Christians from their midst.

It's time for our feckless liberal politicians to see just what appeasement brings down on the heads of the innocent.

[r9etb]

It's time for our feckless liberal politicians to see just what appeasement brings down on the heads of the innocent.

I went to college with an Indonesian guy who happened to be of Chinese descent. One of his earliest memories was during the massacre of Chinese by Suharto, et al. in the mid 60s. Although his own family was never attacked, he remembered hiding under the floor while armed guards surrounded the house.

As we've seen all too often, the Indonesians don't seem to mind the concept of genocide -- it seems to be a standard response. Rather than it being simple appeasement, I think the calculation is that a dictatorship that maintainins some semblance of order is preferable to the chaos and genocide that would surely occur if the government fell.

The calculation now is getting a bit difficult: I think yaya's Sydney Morning Herald article (#12) shows that there's probably more than a little sympathy between the Indonesian gov't and the salamikazis. Genocide may well be inevitable. OTOH, it's not at all clear what to do about it.

[cynicom]

Brian....

It is very telling on the Frenchies, when one does not have to add the "sarcasm" tag. Everyone has the same low esteem of those worthless pretenders.

If they attack the Aussies and Brits for taking offense to the Bali massacre, we should send a comnpany of troops to invade at once.

[ccmay]

If each terrorist incident results in Muslims being expelled from the West, and having their territory shrink, eventually they will get the message that terrorism is counter-productive.

Hear, hear! Time to quarantine the Muslim disease. We should not let so much as a tourist across our borders from the Muslim hell holes, much less an immigrant.

-ccm

[Brian Allen]

<<
Besides, Islam is a peaceful religion -- as long as the women are beaten, [Raped and murdered!] the boys buggered and the infidels killed. >>

You got it!

[Brian Allen]

<< And furthermore the only thing that will get the howling masses to back down is a deadly threat.

When I say "behaving themselves" I mean:

* No more attacks on Western civilians
* No more attacks on the Western military
* No more preaching of hatred by the mullahs
* No more funding of terrorism by Islamic governments

The threat would be detailed as followed - yes we would give fair warning to civilians to get out, but Mecca would be nuked, then Medina, and any other Islamic holy site we can find.

We will bomb them until all the pillars of their faith are gone, and we will not stop until they do. >>

Please God that should it not cease, should even the remotest of possibilities of any occurrence of any of the Absolutely unacceptable actions listed in your four points not have dissappeared from our consciousness, that our elected 'trusted servants' have the courage to, as an Absolute minimum, take the steps you have outlined and/or whatever other steps are necessary to forever rid the Earth of this Evil islamanazi scourge.

Or that we replace them with others who will!

Blessings -- Brian

[patriciaruth]

I think the majority-non-Muslim population of Bali would like to be independent from Indonesia

Balkanization is a problem all over the world. Do you think the Kurds in Turkey should be allowed to break away and set up their own country?

[CARepubGal]

The non Islamics that are still there can prove they are Chaldean, Eastern Othodox, Coptic or Jewish (very few of the latter) since their communities out here are very tight. As for the islamikazes, Kill them ALL!

[dsutah]

Judd Frye? I love it!! "Poor Judd is dead. Poor Judd Frye is dead!" (Oklahoma). I just thought of that name from the musical, and that song, too! At least that's a screen name not many would think of!

[rocknotsand]

Okay I like the single sentence definition of Islam too... but I'm going further here: (clears throut)

Christians have a "slogan" seen and recognised at every sporting event etc (JOHN 3:16) but what is the Islamic (aka Religion of Peace©) equivalent????

Ideas please.

me first>>>>

[expatguy]

I read Mr. Boyce is a career diplomat, served all over Asia...thank goodness President Bush knew to appoint a professional to this hot spot.

Yes, Boyce is good.

Unfortunately we have a pacifist enabler for an ambassador in Malaysia.

Mark my words now - -

MALAYSIA IS THE NEXT COUNTRY THAT WILL BE LOST TO THE TERRORISTS

[YaYa123]

This one?

"Marie T. Huhtala
Ambassador to Malaysia
Marie T. Huhtala U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Marie T. Huhtala was sworn in as the American Ambassador to Malaysia on September 13, 2001, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur to take up her post on September 30. A native of California, Ms. Huhtala joined the Foreign Service in November 1972. Her previous assignments overseas were in Paris, France (1973-75), Chiang Mai, Thailand (1976-79), Taipei, Taiwan (1984-85), Hong Kong (1985-87) and Quebec, Canada (1992-95). Just prior to her nomination as Ambassador, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand (1998-2001).

Ms. Huhtala has also spent many years working in the State Department in Washington. Her assignments there have included stints as a staff officer in the Secretariat, as a Congressional Relations Officer, and as Chief of the Foreign Service's East Asia Assignments Division.

She served as Deputy Director of the Office of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodian Affairs (1990-92) during the last stages of the Paris Peace Accords for Cambodia and the initiation of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. Four years later she returned to that Office, which had expanded to include Thailand and Burma, as Director (1996-98), where she coordinated the U.S. response to issues ranging from the outbreak of fighting in Cambodia and the struggle for democracy in Burma to negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement with Vietnam and the economic crisis in Thailand.

Ms. Huhtala received an undergraduate degree in French (summa cum laude) from Santa Clara University and a Master's Degree in political science from Laval University. She attended the National War College at Fort McNair, graduating with the Class of 1998, and was a Member of the 38th Session of the Senior Seminar, an interagency executive development program organized by the Department of State.

A career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, she is the recipient of the Department of State's Superior Honor Award and Meritorious Honor Award. She speaks fluent French and Thai, and has retained a little Chinese.

Marie is married to Eino A. Huhtala, Jr. The couple have two grown children, Karen R. Rulli and Lt. Jorma Huhtala, USAF."

[expatguy]

Yes, that is her.

The ambassador we had before took a much stronger stance against terrorism.

The American embassy in Malaysia seems more interested in helping Muslims get visas to the United States rather than assisting American citizens. Just the other day I was told on the phone that the embassy was too busy processing a backload of muslim student visas and had no time to attend to US citizens.

Thinking about it, it kinda makes you wonder what the purpose of an embassy is in the first place.