World condemns attacks, pressure Mega to act

World condemns attacks, pressure Mega to act

Agence France-Presse, Sydney

Australia and the United States on Monday led calls for Indonesia
to confront the menace of terrorism, as countries around the
world expressed their horror over the Bali car bomb attack.

Along with the chorus of condemnation of Saturday's blast --
described as "heinous" by U.S. President George W. Bush -- came
offers of help for Indonesia's swamped emergency services and
condolences for Australia which had scores of victims among the
190 dead.

After calling for a day of mourning, Australian Prime Minister
John Howard sent security officials to Indonesia to "maximize
cooperation between Australia and Indonesia in pursuit of the
murderers."

"We have a right and I have a duty to push upon and press upon
the Indonesian government the need for a cooperative effort in
the region," the Australian leader said.

"We are prepared to help, the Americans are prepared to help,
the British have offered assistance; we will give any help that
can usefully assist Indonesia in dealing with the terrorist
problem."

The U.S. president offered both intelligence from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and medical assistance to close ally
Australia.

In the first official reaction from Beijing came strong
condemnation Monday from foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang
Qiyue.

"China strongly condemns the violent explosions," she was
quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency. "China is
deeply concerned over the issue and reiterated that China has
always been opposed to terrorism of any forms," she said.

Asian regional leaders were quick to blame terror for the
attack.

Condolences came from South Korea, where President Kim Dae-
Jung noted that "terrorism cannot justify any moral causes," and
from Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

The monarch sent a letter to Australia's prime minister
expressing her deep shock at "the horrific outrage in Bali with
so many Australians amongst the dead, injured and unaccounted
for."

South African President Thabo Mbeki said he hoped all the
"necessary" steps would be taken to catch those responsible for
the explosion.

"This is a great tragedy which has been consciously and
deliberately caused."

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was "shocked and horrified" to
hear of the attack, a statement from his spokesman Fred Eckhard
said.

The secretary general sought to express "his utter
condemnation of all such indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
They violate all accepted standards of morality, as well as
national and international law, and cannot be justified by any
cause or ideology."

From across Europe came outrage, with the European Union,
through current president Denmark, calling the attack "barbaric
and heinous".

Addressing Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri in a
telegram, Spain's Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was equally
uncompromising and unambiguous, describing the "terrorist" attack
as "brutal and fanatical."

German President Johannes Rau said he was deeply shocked at
the blast, and thanked the Indonesian government and rescue
services for prompt assistance to the injured who included at
least eight Germans.

French President Jacques Chirac also expressed his outrage,
saying "once more blind terrorism has struck, in the most
gratuitous, cowardly and savage manner."

Italy's President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi declared it to be a
"very grave act of terrorism" while Swiss Foreign Minister Joseph
Deiss described the attack as a "hateful crime."

But with condolences came admonishments, such as those from
East Timorese Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta, who said the
attack should "finally sound the alarm in Indonesia so that (this
country) will take the terrorist threat more seriously."