Howard disputes Japan's travel warnings<\/p>\n
Associated Press, Sydney, Australia<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has challenged Japanese
\ngovernment warnings against its citizens visiting Australia
\nbecause of terrorism fears following last month's Bali nightclub
\nbombings.<\/p>\n
Japan recently cautioned Japanese traveling to, or living in,
\nAustralia that terrorist attacks are possible here in the wake of
\nthe Bali blasts.<\/p>\n
\"That's a matter for the Japanese. It's not soundly based
\nthough,\" Howard said on private 3AW radio in Melbourne on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"There has been a far more serious terrorist attack in Japan
\nthan there has been in Australia,\" he said. \"But we wouldn't warn
\npeople because of that to stay away from Japan.\"<\/p>\n
In 1995, a doomsday cult released nerve gas in the Tokyo
\nsubway, killing 12 and injuring thousands.<\/p>\n
\"I can only repeat the obvious to our Japanese friends, and
\nthat is that by the standards of most countries, this is a very
\nsafe country,\" Howard said.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody can guarantee that any country is completely immune
\nfrom a terrorist attack. I can't do that. I can only repeat and
\nstate my scale of assessment of risk.\"<\/p>\n
A series of bombs tore through the nightclub district of the
\nIndonesian resort island of Bali on Oct. 12. Most of the nearly
\n200 people killed were Australian vacationers. Two Japanese were
\namong other foreigners killed.<\/p>\n
Japan is a major source of tourists for Australia.<\/p>\n
For its part, Australia has also issued travel warnings
\nagainst several neighboring countries since the Bali attacks.<\/p>\n
Last month the leaders of the 10-member Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations harshly criticized as unfair travel
\nwarnings issued by several wealthy nations including Australia,
\nthe U.S. and European states.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Wellington, the New Zealand government on Friday
\nsoftened its warning that citizens should not travel to the
\nholiday island Bali.<\/p>\n
Immediately after terror bombs killed nearly 200 people
\nincluding three New Zealanders on Oct. 12, the government told
\ntravelers not to go to Bali.<\/p>\n
On Friday, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
\nTrade eased its advice for Bali, saying essential travel can be
\nundertaken, with suitable security precautions.<\/p>\n
Despite softening its advice for Bali, the ministry noted what
\nit calls a heightened terrorism threat to Westerners and Western
\ninterests throughout Southeast Asia and particularly Indonesia,
\nand warned against all travel to several Indonesian trouble
\nspots.<\/p>\n
Areas covered are Aceh Province, the Maluku Islands, West
\nPapua, Sulawesi and West Timor's border area and Belu district.<\/p>\n
Travel warnings for parts of the Philippines also remain in
\nforce.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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