World blast deadly Jakarta bombing

World blast deadly Jakarta bombing

Agencies, Paris/Manila

France, Britain and the Philippines led strong world condemnation of Thursday's car bomb attack which killed at least eight people outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, with several governments pledging to pursue joint efforts to root out international terrorism.

Eight people were killed and 168 injured in the Jakarta attack, which Australia blamed on Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), an extremist organization accused of links to Al-Qaeda.

France "strongly condemns the attack which struck Indonesia", foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said in Paris.

Ladsous said Foreign Minister Michel Barnier had extended a message of condolences to his Indonesian and Australian counterparts and recalled "our joint determination to combat terrorism and to that end, press on with cooperation efforts".

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed the government's "utter condemnation of today's bomb attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta".

"It again demonstrates that terrorists are prepared to use indiscriminate violence and show complete disregard for human life," he added.

"Such acts will only strengthen the determination of the international community to work together to fight the scourge of international terrorism," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in a statement, adding that he had sent a message to his Australian counterpart Alexander Downer "to offer our deepest condolences for the loss of life, injury and trauma caused by the explosion".

In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Indonesia and Australia.

"There can be no justification for such an attack. Yet again, the innocent have suffered at the hands of terrorists," he said.

"I condemn those who were behind it and hope they will be brought swiftly to justice ... The European Union will continue to work with the rest of the international community to combat the scourge of terrorism," he added.

The Vatican, through its official publication, said: "Terrorism is trying once again trying to make the world bow to blackmail."

"And once again it is doing it in its own special way -- causing death and destruction in the city and in a vile manner attacking the daily lives of people to spread panic."

Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, voiced "dismay and outrage" at the attack and offered condolences to victims' relatives and the Indonesian and Australian governments.

"The EU fully and unconditionally rejects all forms of terrorism," he said, adding that he was "confident that Indonesia would not spare any effort in finding and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this attack".

Bot underlined "the EUs willingness to further strengthen its cooperation with the Indonesian and Australian authorities in the fight against terrorism".

European Commission chief Romano Prodi also condemned the blast, and sent his condolences to the victims, as did German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Spanish Prime Minister Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

In Greece, the foreign ministry called the car bomb a "cowardly terrorist attack" and demanded "exemplary punishment" for the perpetrators.

It said the Greek embassy, near the Australian embassy in Jakarta, had suffered "extensive damage" but the lives of the three injured staff were not in danger.

In Asia, the Philippines on Thursday condemned the bomb attack outside Australia's embassy in Jakarta.

"We condemn this act of violence and no justification is sufficient (for) this attack on innocent civilians," President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.

Thailand condemned the bombing and said it was taking every precaution to prevent a similar attack inside the kingdom, which has been rocked by a separatist insurgency in its southern provinces this year.

"We condemn such acts of terrorism," said foreign ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow.

"We are always very vigilant during the present circumstances. "The authorities are taking every precaution and will be very vigilant."

Japan, a key aid and investment partner of Indonesia, condemned a car blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta on Thursday and urged its citizens there to exercise caution.

"It is an extremely despicable and unpardonable act. An act of terrorism targeting many innocent people can in no way be justified under any circumstances. We condemn it strongly," Kyodo news agency quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi as saying in a statement.

"Our country will actively engage in the fight against terrorism in concert with the international community. For the Indonesian government, we will extend cooperation and support in antiterrorism measures," the statement added.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said on Thursday she was appalled at the massive bomb blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta.

"I have spoken with Australian Prime Minister John Howard to convey New Zealand's deep concern at the attack," she said in a statement.