Topic awaiting preservation: Bali bombing

A couple of my distant relatives are awating word to see if some of their friends are ok but I know we have a a fair few Australians inmates here and there were quite a few australians on holiday over there at the time. One of my close friends just got back from a ~research~ trip he too up there last week. He's a bit shaken up as he was actually at that club about three weeks ago.

I hope no one lost a friend or loved one.

Edit: I Just heard on the radio that we sent over a bunch of planes deliver medical supplies and bring back some of the injured Australians as the hospitols are overcrowded and have limited facilities. One of the boys in died on the flight back here .

I'm not hearing anything but what's happened to the australians at the momoment though. Last reports were 17 dead, 120 injured and a further 200 odd unaccounted for.

The total dead is over 200 now I think, Australians making up the largest percentage thus far from what I can tell. Apparently most of the dead can't be identified.

I'd really like to know how other countries have been affected cause I'm not hearing about anything but the australians.

[This message has been edited by Dracusis (edited 10-14-2002).]

I don't mean to sound anymore ignorant than you take me for but, when did Bali get bombed? Any linkage? I haven't heard a thing about it. Sorry if someone close to you was hurt.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021013/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_bombs_24

Dracusis: I was going to mention it this afternoon but you were busy, etc.

It is a really bad incident - I hear they are already linking it to Osama but an unnamed Sauid source on the BBC has linked it with Indonesian nationalists striking back at Australia because of your role in their loss of East Timor (we really can't win can we?).

At least one Brit (and possibly 6 others) have died as well as a lot Balinese. I feel for the Balinese as they are said to totally in shock over this as it is usually such a peaceful crime-free society.

I hope all the inmates out there are safe.

[edit oh and InSDeR the BBC have their usual thorough coverage:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2324893.stm

there is also a piece on 'Indonesias Muslim Threat':
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2324093.stm

I believe the Foreign Office has asked all British citizens who aren't on urgent business to leave Indonesia asap so this mihgt not be the end of this.]

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

Hmmm...things seem to be 'heating up'...one wonders whether or not this was caused by Moslim terrorists, or by others...

If the first, the it does start to look like Bin Laden is starting to accomplish his goals...that's not a very nice thought, now, is it?

Hopefully it's the latter...my deepest regards and condolences for those who have been affected.

why Bali?

I can't fathom any reason there.
At least UBL declared jihad on the US, and that's a direct link to their 9/11 offensive, but Bali?

I don't get it.

I think it's too early to say. We just have to wait as the facts become clearer.

Well, I could give many reasons why Bali...but as Bugs said, let's first wait, and see...

The reason it was Bali was because at this time of year it probably has the highest concentration of Australians anywhere outside of Oz. The nightclubs targetted were the favourites amongst the Australians (and Brits).

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

It was also an easy target. All throughout the east timore thing a couple of years back bali remained fairly un-affected and still managed to thrive with western tourists. I would have been one of the last places to suspect as a possible target.

Dracusis:

quote:

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[Bali] would have been one of the last places to suspect as a possible target.

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Exactly. As much as we (the US and UK) would like there to be a clear enemy with defined geographical location (Afghanistan and now Iraq) The War Aginst Terror is a far more nebulous battle with new 'fronts' springing up all over the place as various regional groups become more international (with or without Al-Qaeda's help) - they have usually kept aimed at more local targets until recently.

Al-Qaeda blamed for Bali bombing

Spotlight turns on radical cleric

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By the way this is the current dead/missing list from the BBC (taken from the first link above):

quote:

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Australia: 15 dead, 225 missing
Britain: 18 dead, 15 missing
Indonesia: 9 dead
Hong Kong: 10 missing
US: 2 dead
Germany: 1 dead, up to 12 missing
Switzerland: 1 dead
Netherlands: 1 dead

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___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

quote:

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BALI, Indonesia (AP) - After a bomb attack killed at least 180 people, Indonesia's government admitted for the first time Monday that al-Qaida is active on its soil - setting the stage for a possible crackdown on extremists who until now the government has insisted posed no major threat.

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From Associated Press


[This message has been edited by Gilbert Nolander (edited 10-14-2002).]

I live in Australia. This is what I know of it so far.

About 190 people have been confirmed dead, although there are about 300 who are "missing", by which it means that they haven't returned to their hotel rooms or they are so badly burned that their faces are nothing but huge, black sores. While it doesn't quite match up to September 11 in terms of scale and death toll, it's having a huge impact here. What's being said about it in the US?

S^abaal ud T'a johtizuc^ ult'a Fedaro.

Confession