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Mumbai attacks despicable and inhumane: RI
Indonesia condemned the terrorism attacks in Mumbai as despicable and inhumane, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday
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Indonesia condemned the terrorism attacks in Mumbai as despicable and inhumane, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday.
The government expressed condolences to the government of India and to the victims and their families, saying it hoped those responsible would be swiftly captured and brought to justice.
“The attacks are evidence that the threat of terrorism remains real and that it requires constant vigilance and multilateral cooperation in dealing with it,” the statement said.
It added that Indonesia was a staunch supporter of all cooperation in combating terrorism.
Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the Indonesian Embassy in India had made certain none of the 130 Indonesian nationals living in Mumbai was among the victims.
He said the government had no plans to issue a travel warning advising Indonesian nationals against visiting India.
Indonesia has experienced terrorism attacks, most notably the bombings perpetrated by Jamaah Islamiyah in Bali and Jakarta between 2002 and 2005. Dozens of people were arrested and convicted for the blasts, three of whom were executed early this month.
National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, however, said it was “too early” to link the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks with JI.
“However, we will keep an eye on any possibility ... and be alert for any terrorism threats,” Susno said.
The Associated Press reported earlier Thursday that U.S. President George Bush expressed condolences to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a phone call at his Camp David, Maryland, mountaintop retreat.
“The president offered support and assistance to the government of India as it works to restore order, provide safety to its people and comfort to the victims and their families and investigate these despicable acts,” Press Secretary Dana Perino said in a statement.
The Justice Department said the FBI was monitoring the situation closely and was prepared to offer assistance if Indian authorities asked for it.
From Pakistan the AP quoted Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was visiting India as part of a slow-moving South Asian peace process, saying he was “shocked and horrified” by Wednesday’s attacks in Mumbai.
While India’s PM Singh blamed “external forces” in neighboring countries for the terrorist strikes, Qureshi said “a better understanding” was needed of the incident.
“Let us not go in for knee-jerk reactions,” he said, pledging full cooperation of his young government to counter terrorism in the region, according to The Press Trust of India, India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, and India has frequently blamed Pakistan for past terrorist attacks in its territory.
