World blast deadly Jakarta bombing<\/p>\n
Agencies, Paris\/Manila<\/p>\n
France, Britain and the Philippines led strong world condemnation
\nof Thursday's car bomb attack which killed at least eight people
\noutside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, with several
\ngovernments pledging to pursue joint efforts to root out
\ninternational terrorism.<\/p>\n
Eight people were killed and 168 injured in the Jakarta
\nattack, which Australia blamed on Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), an
\nextremist organization accused of links to Al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
France \"strongly condemns the attack which struck Indonesia\",
\nforeign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said in Paris.<\/p>\n
Ladsous said Foreign Minister Michel Barnier had extended a
\nmessage of condolences to his Indonesian and Australian
\ncounterparts and recalled \"our joint determination to combat
\nterrorism and to that end, press on with cooperation efforts\".<\/p>\n
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed
\nthe government's \"utter condemnation of today's bomb attack on
\nthe Australian embassy in Jakarta\".<\/p>\n
\"It again demonstrates that terrorists are prepared to use
\nindiscriminate violence and show complete disregard for human
\nlife,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"Such acts will only strengthen the determination of the
\ninternational community to work together to fight the scourge of
\ninternational terrorism,\" British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
\nsaid in a statement, adding that he had sent a message to his
\nAustralian counterpart Alexander Downer \"to offer our deepest
\ncondolences for the loss of life, injury and trauma caused by the
\nexplosion\".<\/p>\n
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also
\ncondemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Indonesia and
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
\"There can be no justification for such an attack. Yet again,
\nthe innocent have suffered at the hands of terrorists,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I condemn those who were behind it and hope they will be
\nbrought swiftly to justice ... The European Union will continue
\nto work with the rest of the international community to combat
\nthe scourge of terrorism,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The Vatican, through its official publication, said:
\n\"Terrorism is trying once again trying to make the world bow to
\nblackmail.\"<\/p>\n
\"And once again it is doing it in its own special way --
\ncausing death and destruction in the city and in a vile manner
\nattacking the daily lives of people to spread panic.\"<\/p>\n
Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country holds the
\nrotating EU presidency, voiced \"dismay and outrage\" at the attack
\nand offered condolences to victims' relatives and the Indonesian
\nand Australian governments.<\/p>\n
\"The EU fully and unconditionally rejects all forms of
\nterrorism,\" he said, adding that he was \"confident that Indonesia
\nwould not spare any effort in finding and bringing to justice the
\nperpetrators of this attack\".<\/p>\n
Bot underlined \"the EUs willingness to further strengthen its
\ncooperation with the Indonesian and Australian authorities in the
\nfight against terrorism\".<\/p>\n
European Commission chief Romano Prodi also condemned the
\nblast, and sent his condolences to the victims, as did German
\nForeign Minister Joschka Fischer and Spanish Prime Minister Luis
\nRodriguez Zapatero.<\/p>\n
In Greece, the foreign ministry called the car bomb a
\n\"cowardly terrorist attack\" and demanded \"exemplary punishment\"
\nfor the perpetrators.<\/p>\n
It said the Greek embassy, near the Australian embassy in
\nJakarta, had suffered \"extensive damage\" but the lives of the
\nthree injured staff were not in danger.<\/p>\n
In Asia, the Philippines on Thursday condemned the bomb attack
\noutside Australia's embassy in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We condemn this act of violence and no justification is
\nsufficient (for) this attack on innocent civilians,\" President
\nGloria Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.<\/p>\n
Thailand condemned the bombing and said it was taking every
\nprecaution to prevent a similar attack inside the kingdom, which
\nhas been rocked by a separatist insurgency in its southern
\nprovinces this year.<\/p>\n
\"We condemn such acts of terrorism,\" said foreign ministry
\nspokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow.<\/p>\n
\"We are always very vigilant during the present circumstances.
\n\"The authorities are taking every precaution and will be very
\nvigilant.\"<\/p>\n
Japan, a key aid and investment partner of Indonesia,
\ncondemned a car blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta
\non Thursday and urged its citizens there to exercise caution.<\/p>\n
\"It is an extremely despicable and unpardonable act. An act of
\nterrorism targeting many innocent people can in no way be
\njustified under any circumstances. We condemn it strongly,\" Kyodo
\nnews agency quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi as
\nsaying in a statement.<\/p>\n
\"Our country will actively engage in the fight against
\nterrorism in concert with the international community. For the
\nIndonesian government, we will extend cooperation and support in
\nantiterrorism measures,\" the statement added.<\/p>\n
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said on Thursday she
\nwas appalled at the massive bomb blast outside the Australian
\nembassy in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I have spoken with Australian Prime Minister John Howard to
\nconvey New Zealand's deep concern at the attack,\" she said in a
\nstatement.<\/p>",
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