Bali bombing kills over 180 people!

[ayoub_ibrahim]

Described as the worst act of terrorism in Indonesia's history, a massive car bomb is believed responsible for a blast that tore through a nightclub in Bali, killing more than 180 people -- most of them thought to be Australian tourists.

The death toll from the bombing stood at 182 late Sunday afternoon, with at least 250 people injured, many with severe burns, stretching local hospital and medical facilities to breaking point.

full story at http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapc...ast/index.html

[Strahd]

This bombing shit is really getting old. An imaginative group aren't they.

[Sasq]

Not sure, but it seems that many of the Australian rules football teams are in Bali atm with their end of season holiday.

My heart goes out to all the people affected by this.

Dan

[mutz]

It's somehing of a shock. We were shopping exactly where the bomb went off last year, and we were just thinking of going back in February. We have close friends there, and though they live 45 minutes north of Kuta, they do business in Kuta. Can't get an email through because their ISP was exactly where the bomb went off and the telephone circuits are jambed.

Bali is such a beautiful place with such wonderful, soft and kind people. Bali has always been the exception in Indonesia, almost a country of it's own. The Balinese are about 90% Hindu, so they neither did this or deserved this.

Bali is the primary vacation destination for Oz, many Europeans, Japanese, Koreans, but very few Americans. It is relatively unprotected and they rarely have disturbances at all. Even the major Indonesian upheavals of the last few years hardly touched Bali at all. This is sad.

[K6-III]

Let us attempt to decipher the following: why bomb a tourist destination and who stands to gain???

[Joel]

This is very sad and it just goes to show that none of us are safe from these fanatics. What I'm waiting for now is to see how someone tries to blame this on the US like everything else that is going wrong in the world.

Joel

[K6-III]

Well....in a way the US is the worlds' indirect terrorism financeer, seeing as it purchases around 55% of the worlds oil supply....

[mutz]

It may well be purely an Indonesian thing. It has the largest Muslim population in the world. There are Muslim "purists" sects, something you find under most widespread religions, that regard Bali as a den of sin, decedance and iniquity corrupted by tourists, and it could be they are connected to the bombing. The smaller bomb near the US Consulate is more likely to mean "Ami go home".

Indonesia is a beautiful land, but one of great overpopulation and extremes in places, extreme wealth among the few and extreme poverty for the many, religious moderation for the majority and extreme fanatical for a small minority, goverment dominance, massive corruption and tribal resistance. Violence will always find foothold under such pressures. Bombings have usually been the work of very small groups of ten or twenty in the whole country.

Two or three years ago when some locals on Lombok, the neighboring island to Bali, were told by some fanatics from Jakarta to bomb the local Christian mission, they set off a few firecrackers in the parking lot and walked back home. They don't like violence and that's their way of avoiding it.

Around the same time a group of local disidents, waving guns and torches, showed up at the Oberoi Resort, managed by an American. They threatened first to burn the place down, then decided to occupy it. John negotiated with the leader to go get the local tribal chief and Muslim priest. John asked them what the trouble was. The locals explained their disatifciations and John agreed to hire more locals, build a school in the village and otherwise look to their well being. Now the locals love and protect the resort as if it was part of their tribe and village. John is a local hero. John has five ducks and a cat.

I can tell you 95% of the population of Indonesia is just as shocked and incensed as we are.

[The PIT]

Well the Bali defence minister is pointing his finger at Binnies boys and local evil nut cases. Perhaps they'll now decide, although it's too late to crack down on these cranks.

[thop]

What I'm waiting for now is to see how someone tries to blame this on the US like everything else that is going wrong in the world.

this is really haunting you Joel isnt it?

[The PIT]

Don't worry when all the Holiday trade goes and the money starts getting short it won't be the extremists fault.

[RedRed]

Joel

I think someone would have to one sick momma to blame the US for this.

Indonesia does have its share of problems and its own indigeonus terrorists...

It could be anone from a range of organisations...
however with the bombing there, Finland and Yamen, could this be the start of a new tack employed by AlQ?

It would demonstrate a truly global reach.

RedRed

[Dr Mordrid]

Anyone who doesn't see the Al Qaeda connection is wearing blinders.

One of their favorite new techniques was employed in Bali; blowing a small bomb inside a building (or buildings) to get everyone into the street then setting off a car bomb once the crowd has gathered.

They've used this MO several times in Afghanistan.

Dr. Mordrid

[Dogbert]

It was used in Jerusalem once as well.
Suicide bomber and a car bomb 100m from there just as the people ran away towards it.

A few years ago a suicide bomber blew off at a big junction and when people and rescue forces gathered to help the wounded, 2 other bombs exploded.

[RedRed]

it was done here (belfast) in the 70's....
13 bombs in 1 day - a couple had warnings.....

when they blew up Omagh (the whole town center) they gave a warning - for the other side of town..... people were evacuated to where the bomb was....