Massive Bomb Blast in Bali - Indonesia

[neil.home]

Hundreds of tourist were killed and injured by a massive car bomb in Bali yesterday.

This is a favourite holiday destination for Australian and New Zealanders. It appear the majority of those killed or injured are Australian, with a few NZers injured, one possibly dead.

My heart goes out to our Australian and New Zealand members and their families and I pray that your families and friends have been spared from this senseless act of terrorism.

Neil
Bangkok based New Zealander

[CamB]

I echo Neil's sentiments - if not in scale this equals the senselessness of September 11. The bombs were targetted at two adjacent bars in a tourist area and as such there is no way this can be construed as anything other than intended to create terror.

There are now many very sad Australian (and other) families. I too pray for the families and friends of those affected.

Cam

[Sean Hamilton]

Total devastation. Horror.
Targeted at OUR youth - our young Aussie footballers, athletes and holiday makers on their end of season vacation. So many, now not ever coming home.

Terrorist mob from Indonesia with obvious links.
Payback - for Timor? Afghanistan? Both I'd reckon.

No, not on the same scale as 911 but it's all relative. We're in there sharing the same trenches as our allies and paying the price in the fight against this wretched foe, yet, strange how this event has registered has not much more than a half raised eyebrow around the globe.

Okay, so now it's hit home "for us". They think we're just rattling our sabre? Well, they've underestimated the ANZAC.

[A Quiet Boom]

Originally posted by Sean Hamilton
[Byet, strange how this event has registered has not much more than a half raised eyebrow around the globe. [/B]

I wouldn't necessarily say that, it was all over the news here in the US, with talk about how American's and our allies will continue to be targeted. Terrorists are IMHO the lowest form of cowardess. Can you imagine the outcry from these terrorist supporting nations if we used the same tactics? There is no honor in attacking civilians, I don't care what they believe.


-Christian

[stuartj]

Lets not get too carried away with the rhetoric, the govt, on present form, will do that without our help. I struggle to see this an as attack on AUS, and there will be many nationalities represented in this tragedy.

Its far more likely an attack on what is no dout seen as an enclave of Western decadence in the largest Islamic country in the world.

Lets also spare a thought for the 95% Hindu population of Bali, who will make up a large number of the dead and injured, and whose generous and gentle nature is well known. Bali is not a developed economy, the people are poor, and frankly, this will hurt them enormously.

stuart, melbourne

[Bobboloo]

Good words Stuart.

It's polarization that hurts us all. The sooner people realize that were all one people the better off will be.

Is the rhetoric as bad in Australia as it is in the U.S.? Hard to imagine. I've got a stomach full of it over here. Saddam Saddam Saddam. I'm about to puke. Sure the guy is a Class A *sshole. But our President has got a real bug up his *ss on this. It's consumed his whole Presidency at the moment.

The world is going through some real growing pains at the moment. It seems that globalization has caused some real culture clash.

We could sure use some good leadership.

Bobby /Los Angeles

[expat]

Sean,

Its got lots of coverage in Hong Kong. Lots of people really pissed-off. The major English paper ran front story and four inside pages.

I hope none of my surfing mates are there. I'm still waiting to hear back from a mate in South Aus. about any of them. Info is slow going at the moment.

Asia is being rocked by this I think. They finally know they are involved in this terrorism 100%.

[expat]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Sad, but indeed a bit off-topic for the 911 forum...

-Wayne

Hmmmmm....really. Did we feel that way a year ago? Terrorism is terrorism and on behalf of the hundreds of Aussies (and other nationalities) who won't see their children again....respectfully I disagree with you Wayne.

Last year, there wer some real extremist points put across this board. Much of it was too extreme but it united many of us around the world as we came to discuss, share and support each other in our disbelief at that tragedy. I see little difference now except its not in your back yard. Its in our bloody back yard!

We won't know for a while who's responsible, but to some extent I don't care. Terror is terror and we are fighting for the same things at the moment......safety, support, compassion and freedom.

[expat]

Oh yeah...........

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Sad,

-Wayne

Oh really.........

More like f*** unbelieveable, tragic, unforgiveable, but not f*** SAD.

Sorry, I'll go cool off now!

[Sean Hamilton]

This has been relegated to purgatory -- Off Topic Rantings.
"Rantings" ?!?! Shame!

I thank Neil for posting it. And posting it on the 911 forum. It's there that I go and there that I found it.
Its there that it should have remained - out of respect to those of us that share a common interest, in our marque and .....and ...... oh forget it. I'm just gutted at the moment.

[Bill Douglas]

Not if, but when, fighting starts with Indo we better be ready for it. Asia Pacific is one of the most populated regions of the world and has strong terrorist networks from the southern islands of the Philippines to Indonesia, plus thousands of islands and hideouts in the jungles. The NZ SAS is still fighting alongside the US in Afghanistan - as they have been from day one, I think we better get them back as things are seriously hoting up in our part of the world and we have to look after our own interests for a change. My sympathies go out to the Aussie and Kiwi families and friends who have suffered loss.

[cegerer]

"It's polarization that hurts us all. The sooner people realize that were all one people the better off will be."

I wonder if an Iraqi-funded terrorist set off a 'dirty-bomb' in Los Angeles (or Germany or France or Canada), what would the 'lets-all-hold-hands-and-work-this-out' crowd think then? How many times does the civilized world need to get punched in the face before it stops talking and fights back? There are evil people in this world. They can't be reasoned with. They need to be killed. That's reality. -- Curt

[jyl]

I spent about 3 months in Australia and NZ back in 1997. I met some of the nicest, friendliest, most fun-loving people I've ever met. I also spent some time in Bali and, in addition to many Aussie and Kiwi backpacker types, met some nice Balinese as well.

It is terrible to think of all those young people dead, burned, disfigured, missing - for either no purpose at all or for an evil, fanatical purpose.

I hope your friends and family are soon home and safe and that your government acts wisely to protect your countries and people.

It does feel like things are going to get much nastier before they get better.

[stuartj]

Military intervention against terror doesnt work. Didnt work in N Ireland, didnt work in Morroco, isnt working in Israel.

Look at it this way. "We" (my govt is an enthusiastic particpant) have been bombing the **** out of Afghanistan for 12 months, a state marginally associated with Al Q by dent of the fact that members of that organisation were found to be there. Estimates of dead Afghans range between 5 and 20 thousand.

Sharron continues to use the 6th most powerful army in the world to flatten villages and fire US made air to ground missiles into apartment buildings to support illegal Israeli occupations. The images of eights year olds being gunned down by the IDF in Palestine are powerful.

On the table is a proposed action against Iraq, based on questionable links to terrorism and the WOMD and naming non conformance with UN resolutions (just like the ones Israel has ignored for 30 years) as the legal/moral justifcations for same.

One outcome of all of this is crystal clear. There will never be a shortage of fanatical martyrs.

stuart

[expat]

Why isn't this OT?

Any sailors onboard?

Who's a sailor

(Don't get me wrong. I'm a sailor and I enjoyed reading the thread. I'm simply demonstrating a big inconsistancy in the removal of the Bali thread to a OT Ranting

[neil.home]

Out of respect to those who have died and been injured from all over the world, I was not going to post anything more, but the cynic inside of me says that this has gone to "off topic" because we (NZ & Aussies) do not spend enough money at Pelican to warrant this being left in the 911 forum, whereas the Sailor thread involves mainly US based posters, who of necessity are the primary customers of Pelican.

Plus of course as other people have stated in the deleted thread discussion, it is Wayne's BBS and he can do whatever he wants, including letting the Marxs Brothers rerun thread continue whilst pretending to be about R-Gruppe cars.

I am saddened that the world has come to this and that the horror of senseless violence and murder is spreading around the world. I have no answers or solutions, there can be none when there is no rationale for the action.

But I hope and pray that we will all be spared from the direct consequences of these events in the future and for now I share the sadness of those who have been affected.

I couldn't careless about where this thread (added that word) is located, but I am heartened by the way we as human beings find comfort amongst strangers in adversity.

Neil

Heading home on holiday this week, out of Asia to the land of the long white cloud

[Adam]

I for one, am fed up and very, very hurt...

A friend of a friend, is among the missing in Bali. I didn't even know he was over there until today and it sickens me to know that this "terrorism" has reached out and touched me in my home. Not in some armpit of a country, like Iran, Afghanistan, Syria or Israel, but in my own home. I got the call when I got home and have been brewing about this since. I've been watching the TV news specials, hoping for a glimpse and then praying that I don't, all the time knowing that he's gone...

Imagine if this is actually an Indonesian Military action, delayed and interpreted as an "Al-Qeida" operation, which is a payback for Australia's (primarily) involvement in East Timor. That's an act of war, isn't it?? We really need our top Military Assets close to home, where they're needed. Rest them up and get them ready. We're going to need them sooner than you think!

Now the problem rests with the Balinese people, who are among the gentlest and kindest people you're likely to meet. Very friendly, relaxed and hospitable and now their very existence is shattered by the annihilation of their tourist industry.

Sure, some Western/Australian tourists can go over to Bali, spend a fortune, get drunk and paint a very ugly image. How do I know? I'm in the 20-30 age bracket, the most well represented age spread of the victims of this attack. But in the last 10 years, there has been a significant influx of Muslim, Javanese-Indonesians, who resent the lifestyle and the financial success that the Non-Muslim (Hindu Bhuddist) Balinese enjoy and their Western guests. They've been jealously looking on for some time, resenting, brewing and finally hating enough to do something like this.

Life is cheap in Asia, isn't it? We see it in $5 snuff films. We see it in the despicable human rights records of many Asian nations and we see it in the wretched politics of tenuously contained Military dictatorships, like Indonesia. To make an example, I don't hate Eskimos, but if I did, I wouldn't make it my mission in life to seek them our and kill them wherever they may be. Jesus, that's insane. How has the world allowed these deluded *****s to preach "their" misguided, mis-interpreted gospel and to spread the word? I feel sick when I watch the news these days.

I have personally been to Bali 5 times. On my last trip, I decided I probably wouldn't return, due to the percentage of aggressive Javanese Indonesians that now occupy Bali, who in turn are now forcing the peaceful Balinese out of their positions of commerce.

Now I won't return, not because I don't want to, but because we're now a target. People tune out to events they don't want to know about, but after what's been going on in Aceh and even Jakarta for some 18-20 months now, the only way you'd get me to goto Indonesia, is if my Government put me in a Uniform and gave me a Steyr AUG... and I hope to hell that never happens.

Sorry, guys... I really needed to vent My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and friends.

[neil.home]

Very sorry to hear that your friend is missing Adam.

I watched the news tonight and could not beleive the damaged caused and the suffering of those who have survived.

I only pray that these people never make it into our two special countries and that your friend is found alive.

My thoughts are with you.

Neil

[expat]

Amen Adam.

I too have had the same experiences as you in Bali. I shan't return, neither for surfing or family holidays.

I really feel sorry for the Balinese as well as the victims and their families.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

As an indirect Aussie myself (half my father's family is Aussie) I send out my sympathy to everyone in Bali.