CNN, Sunday, October 13, 2002 Posted: 2:26 PM EDT
At least 183 dead in Bali bombings
Attacks called worst acts of terrorism in Indonesia's history
Sunday, October 13, 2002 Posted: 2:26 PM EDT (1826 GMT)
KUTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesian government officials Sunday called attacks that
killed at least 183 people in two Bali nightclubs the work of terrorists, while U.S. and
regional intelligence officials linked the bombings to the al Qaeda terror network.
The blasts were "the worst act of terrorism in the country's history," according to
Indonesian police Chief Da'e Bakhtiar.
More than 100 also were wounded in the Saturday night attacks on the Indonesian
tourist island. Identification of the dead was difficult because of serious burn injuries.
Many of the dead and wounded were Australians, but Indonesian, German, French,
British and Americans also were among the casualties. One American and five
Britons were among the confirmed dead.
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri arrived Sunday in Bali, visiting the
injured before heading to the blast scene. She returned to Jakarta on Sunday night,
where she was expected to convene an emergency Cabinet session.
President Bush offered U.S. assistance to the Indonesian government and said the
bombings were designed to "create terror and chaos."
"On behalf of the people of the United States, I condemn this heinous act," Bush said
in a statement. "I offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of all the murder
victims from numerous countries and our wish for the swift and complete recovery of
those injured in this attack."
According to witnesses, an explosion occurred at one nightclub. As people streamed
out, another, larger blast tore through the Sari Club, which caters to international
visitors. (Bali's nightmare)
"There was just a procession of people covered in blood, covered in glass, glass
embedded in people, people's backs which have obviously been on fire," said witness
Richard Poore. "It was just horrible."
An official with the American Chamber of Commerce said the explosion rattled
windows at least 6 miles (10 kilometers) away.
The blasts and subsequent fire destroyed an entire city block, said Robert Koster, a
journalist on the scene. It appeared the second explosion may have been caused by a
car bomb, he said.
Another explosion occurred around the same time near the U.S. consular office on the
island. There was no immediate report of casualties.
Region's seventh bombing in three weeks
U.S. and Asian intelligence authorities said they had linked the attacks to the al
Qaeda terrorist network in Southeast Asia because they bear the hallmarks of the
terrorist group:
Coordinated, simultaneous bombings, a tactic outlined in an al Qaeda training
manual.
Attention to timing: The blasts took place two years after the terrorist attack on the
USS Cole that killed 17 sailors and wounded 39 others in the Gulf of Aden.
Aiming at an economic target, a recent switch in al Qaeda tactics. Tourism is
Indonesia's third-largest source of income.
A likely role by Jemaah Islamiah, a radical Islamic group linked to al Qaeda which
experts say is the only one in the region with the capability to coordinate such
attacks.
It is the seventh major bombing in the region in the last three weeks. They include an
explosion Saturday outside the Philippine consulate in Manado, Indonesia, a grenade
attack outside a U.S. Embassy warehouse in Jakarta and a blast at a bar in the
southern Philippines that killed one U.S. Marine and three Filipinos.
Jemaah Islamiah, which authorities suspect is al Qaeda's network in Southeast Asia,
is blamed for the September 23 grenade explosion near the U.S. Embassy warehouse
as well as several other bombing attacks in Southeast Asia.
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said "preliminary indications"
suggested that an Islamic radical group could be behind the blasts.
"We have been very concerned about terrorist organizations operating in Southeast
Asia, including Indonesia, organizations such as Jemaah Islamiah, and there are at
least preliminary indications that one of those types of organizations is behind this,"
Downer said.
Australia is sending an investigative team to work with Indonesian authorities to find
out who was behind the attack, Downer said.
Many Australians among victims
Friends and family of the victims flooded the local hospital in Bali on Sunday, trying to
find any information about the status of their loved ones. Hospital officials appealed for
volunteers to help care for victims with serious burns.
Just after midnight Monday in Sydney (10 a.m. EDT Sunday), the first of four Royal
Australian Air Force C-130 transports touched down in Darwin, Australia, carrying 27
Australians wounded in the back-to-back blasts.
At least 113 other Australians were wounded, with 16 listed in serious condition.
Medical facilities were overwhelmed in Bali, causing concerns in Australia about the
other nation's ability to provide treatment.
Extra flights were scheduled to ferry Australians and other tourists to Australia. (Full
story)
Many football and rugby players from Australia were in the Bali nightclub at the time
of the explosion.
"At this point in time we have seven unaccounted for," said Brian Andersen of
Australia's Kingsley Football Club. "We found one this morning in the hospital with
burns, but we can't get any other information regarding the other seven at this stage."
'Despicable act of terrorism'
Ralph Boyce, U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, called the attacks "a despicable act of
terrorism, the likes of which Indonesia has never seen."
"No cause or aspiration justifies the taking innocent life," Boyce said in a statement.
"The United States has offered all appropriate assistance to the government of
Indonesia to see that those responsible for this cowardly act face justice."
Hospital sources said that one American and five Britons were among the dead.
The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta is "currently re-evaluating the extent of its presence in
Indonesia," said a statement posted on its Web site Sunday. "Americans visiting or
residing in Indonesia are advised to examine the necessity of continuing to remain in
Indonesia."
The United States had warned it was considering evacuating nonessential government
personnel if Indonesian authorities did not do more to battle terrorism within its
borders, U.S. sources in Indonesia and Washington said.
On Thursday, the U.S. State Department warned posts abroad about the possibility of
an attack by Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, alerting all posts to be at the
"highest level of vigilance," a senior State Department official said. (Indonesia probes
al Qaeda links)
The State Department has had a travel warning in effect for Indonesia for more than a
year, but Bali had been widely considered insulated from the troubles plaguing much
of the rest of the archipelago.
CNN Correspondents Maria Ressa, Atika Shubert, journalist Robert Koster and White
House Correspondent Kelly Wallace contributed to this report.
© 2001 Cable News Network LP, LLLP
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