Jakarta bombing draws int'l defiance, condemnation
Jakarta bombing draws int'l defiance, condemnation
Agencies Jakarta/Washington
The United States and the United Nations strongly condemned on Thursday (Friday Jakarta time) the bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy in Indonesia.
U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the bombing and offered his sympathies to the victims' families, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
"This is yet another attack against civilized people everywhere. We condemn this outrageous act," McClellan added as Bush courted voters in Pennsylvania.
The U.S. State Department said Washington was prepared to assist the governments of Indonesia and Australia "in any way we can", and hoped the culprits would be brought to justice.
The attack "only strengthens our resolve to fight all forms of international terrorism", said department spokesman Richard Boucher in a press release, which was made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday by the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was "horrified" by the attack, his spokesman said in a statement, adding: "The secretary-general reiterates his condemnation of all terrorist acts."
Russia voiced outrage at the deadly car bombing, the Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday.
"Russia decisively condemns the terrorist act in Indonesia and offers deep sympathy to the families of those killed and wounded," the ministry said in a statement.
"This act of international terrorism is of the same order as the recent tragic events in Russia and is yet another proof that terrorists hold nothing sacred in striving for their goals," the statement read.
China expressed its condolences to Indonesia on Friday after nine people were killed and 180 injured in the bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, state media said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhoxing conveyed the message to his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda, Xinhua news agency said.
"The Chinese government firmly supports the Indonesian government's efforts to fight terrorism and maintain national stability," Li said.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong condemned on Thursday the deadly car bombing in Jakarta and conveyed his condolences and sympathies to all the victims and their families.
"We strongly condemn these acts of violence. Singapore will fully support Indonesia ... to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators of these heinous acts," Lee said in a letter sent to Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri. A copy of the letter was sent to the Post by the Singaporean Embassy in Jakarta.
Malaysia condemned on Friday condemned the bombing and hoped that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
"We condemn this inhumane attack which has resulted in the death and injury of many innocent civilians," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in a statement sent to the official Bernama news agency.
Iran also condemned the car bombing in Jakarta, Iranian media reported on Friday.
"This incident is unjustifiable and we want international cooperation to uproot terrorism," the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid Reza Asefi, said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran sympathizes with the Australian families of the victims and also the Indonesian government and nation," he added.