Jakarta Bombing Draws International Defiance, Condemnation

JAKARTA, Sept 9 (AFP) - The bloody car bomb attack outside the Australian embassy in Indonesia Thursday drew strong international condemnation and defiance as leaders vowed to work together to fight the scourge of terrorism.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would not be intimidated by the attack in Jakarta which killed at least nine people and injured scores of others.
"This is not a nation that is going to be intimidated by acts of terrorism. We are a strong, robust democracy," Howard said.
No Australians were harmed in the blast but the attack, which shattered windows of the embassy building and destroyed part of the barrier surrounding it, has prompted fears that Australia could be targeted by terrorists ahead of October 9 elections.
"It is clearly a terrorist attack, it was outside the Australian embassy, you would have to conclude that it was directed towards Australia," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told reporters in Adelaide.
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, in Brunei for the wedding of the heir to the oil-rich kingdom's throne, rushed back to Jakarta after the bombing and later visited the scene.
France and Britain led strong European condemnation of the bombing.
France "strongly condemns the attack which struck Indonesia," foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said in Paris.
Ladsous said Foreign Minister Michel Barnier had extended a message of condolences to his Indonesian and Australian counterparts and recalled "our joint determination to combat terrorism and to that end, press on with cooperation efforts."
In London, a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "It again demonstrates that terrorists are prepared to use indiscriminate violence and show complete disregard for human life."
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said there could be no justification for such an attack.
"The European Union will continue to work with the rest of the international community to combat the scourge of terrorism," he added.
The Vatican, through its official publication, said: "Terrorism is trying once again trying to make the world bow to blackmail."
Security was tightened at Australian embassies across Asia while in the Philippines elite Special Action Force police officers were sent to secure the building housing Canberra's embassy within minutes of the attack.
Foreign Secretary (minister) Alberto Romulo said the bombing was a "despicable act against humanity and freedom."
Security at the Australian embassy in the Thai capital Bangkok was also stepped up after Canberra asked for additional security, officials said.
"We condemn such acts of terrorism," said Thai foreign ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow. "We are always very vigilant during the present circumstances."
Australia's high commission (embassy) in Pakistan, a country also hit by Al-Qaeda-linked bombings in the past, was also considering upgrading security measures, officials said.
Pakistan "strongly condemned" the blast, and also vowed to stand strong against terrorism.
"We must be vigilant about the ubiquitous nature of the scourge of the terrorism and reaffirm our resolve to fight and eliminate it in all its forms, through intensified international cooperation," foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the bombing was a reminder that terrorism continued to threaten world peace.
"Afghanistan stands in firm solidarity with those countries that are affected by and fighting terrorism. We will play our full part in this fight," he said in a statement.
The bombing brought solidarity from Vietnam, where a spokesman for the communist government condemned the attack and called for greater international efforts to combat terrorism.
A Chinese official, noting that at least four of its nationals were among the injured, described the blast as "shocking". "The scale of this incident and the number of casualties involved are very shocking to us," foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was appalled and urged New Zealanders to "observe a high level of security awareness in public places in Indonesia".
In the Middle East, Kuwait's prime minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah sent messages to the leaders of Indonesia and Australia condemning the bombing, the state KUNA news agency reported.