For the first 'terrorist attack' to take place on Australian soil, it had to come just after the Corby case.
Indonesia condemns 'terrorist attack' on embassy
The Indonesian Government says it will not be swayed by what it has called an "act of cowardice" in the delivery of a potentially hazardous parcel to the Indonesian embassy in Canberra.
It has also called on Indonesians not to react to the incident amid the incident being labelled as "terrorism" by political and media circles.
The news from Canberra has dominated Indonesian press and television reports.
Parliamentarian Joko Sisilo, who sits on Indonesia's House Foreign Affairs Committee, says Indonesia should now issue travel warnings for Australia.
He says the attack proves Australians are capable of committing their own acts of terrorism.
The spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in Jakarta, Marty Natalagewa, says the incident underlines the need for responsibility in reaction to the Schapelle Corby case.
"If any good perhaps comes out of this latest sorry incident, it's perhaps it works as some kind of like an alarm bell to those who have been whipping up public emotions," he said.
Mr Natalagewa says the attack would not force changes to Indonesia's presence in Canberra.
Meanwhile, tests on the white powder sent to the Indonesian embassy in an envelope could be completed by today.
It is already known to be a bacteria that is present in a range of products from snail pellets to anthrax.
Australian officials are waiting for a translation of a note sent with the white powder to determine the motives of the attack.
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has told Channel 9 that at this stage the Federal Government cannot confirm if the threat is related to last week's jailing of Schapelle Corby in Bali.
"There was a note in Bahasa ... that's the Indonesian language - we haven't got a translation yet and obviously that will come to us fairly soon," he said.
"We understand that the parcel was sent from Victoria.
"We can't at this stage say if it was directly related to the Schapelle Corby case."
Prime Minister John Howard says he now wants to wait for the test results.
"The analysis is going on and when we know the outcome of that then something further will be said," he said.
"Plainly it's not just a case of some white powder being sent - whoever sent it had a more evil intent than that."
Mr Howard says the incident will damage relations between the two countries and condemned the action.
Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has described it as an act by evil cowards.
"If it is connected to debate and the issues around Schapelle Corby's case, it will deal it a body blow," he said.
1 Comments:
If this is related to Corby's case - which i suspect it is - then i have to say that's it reckless and stupid behaviour on the part of the australian who sent it.
How is it ever possible for a government to back off and set her free when they are being challenged?
AIYO.
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