Bush denounces Bali bombers

The bomb targeted a popular tourist nightspot

US President George W Bush has called on the world to confront those who killed at least 187 people - most of them Westerners - in a car bomb attack on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.

We must challenge and defeat the idea that the wanton killing of innocents advances any cause

George W Bush

Intelligence officers have been sent from the US and Australia to help with the investigation into the Saturday night attack and to try to identify the dead - many of whom have been badly burnt.

The Australian air force has started flying injured Australians to Darwin, with the first 15 of the most seriously wounded arriving on Monday morning.

One victim died of his injuries during the flight.

Click here for a map of the area

Glass was flying everywhere and people were screaming and running in all directions
Daniel Tyler, England

To read more of your comments, click here

Three-quarters of the victims are thought to be Australians, but though Britons and other Europeans are also known to be among the dead, 24 hours after the blast fewer than 30 bodies had been identified.

Lists of missing people have been posted in Bali and officials warn it could take days to identify all the victims, some of whom were trapped in the Sari club by a wall of flames created by cars outside which caught fire.

'Heinous attack'

President Bush added his voice to the chorus of condemnation from world leaders, saying the "heinous" attack was "designed to create terror and chaos".

The names of the missing - mostly foreign tourists - have been posted

"The world must confront this global menace - terrorism," Mr Bush said in a statement released by the White House.

"We must challenge and defeat the idea that the wanton killing of innocents advances any cause or supports any aspirations, and we must call this despicable act by its rightful name - murder."

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the US ambassador to Indonesia, Ralph Boyce, has said that the US warned the Indonesian Government of the risk of a major terrorist attack in recent weeks.

'Terrorist link'

Senator Richard Shelby, the senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he believed there was a "definite terrorist link" after being briefed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

He pointed to the shootings of US Marines in Kuwait last week and an attack on a French tanker in Yemen as evidence of a planned series of events and warned: "I believe this is the beginning of a lot more".

Many of the victims suffered extensive burns

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Jemaah Islamiah - a group believed to be affiliated to al-Qaeda - was suspected of being behind the attacks.

"It has financial as well as personnel links to al-Qaeda and it's conceivable that an organisation like that could be behind this action," he said.

Indonesia's police chief, General Da'i Bachtiar, said the bombing was "the worst act of terror in Indonesia's history".

The US has been among those criticising Indonesia for not taking more action against Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a cleric believed to be among its leaders.

But Mr Ba'asyir held a news conference on Sunday to deny any involvement.

"It would be impossible for Indonesians to do it - Indonesians don't have such powerful explosives," he said.

Helpline numbers

Office of US Citizens' Services: 1-202 647 5225/5226

UK Foreign Office: 020 7008 0000

Australian Foreign Affairs Department: 1-800 002 214 or 02 6261 3305

New Zealand Foreign Ministry: 0800 432 111

"I think maybe the US are behind the bombings because they always say Indonesia is part of a terrorist network."

The US and Britain were among countries encouraging their citizens to leave Bali and the rest of Indonesia in the wake of the attack.

Extra flights have been scheduled by the Australian airline Qantas for people wanting to leave the island, but the BBC's Richard Galpin said Kuta's bars were still busy with many foreign tourists.

---

Click here to return