Worst strike since September 11, 190 dead, mostly Western tourists, and the death toll rising by the hour.
Opinions?
Opinions?
Bali Bombing
- Thread starter jadedskies
- Start date
I've seen most of the news reports over the last 48 hours, and I've got a lot of feelings about this one.
September 11 shocked us all down here, but this has hit a lot closer to home. It's as close to an attack on Australian soil as you could get without actually being on Australian soil - the most popular holiday destination for Australians, just off our northern coast, and in one of the bars most popular with Australian tourists.
Our airforce has had to fly all the injured out, two people died on the way to Darwin. The hospitals in Darwin are packed to the brim, and people have had to be flown to hospitals all over the country.
One girl in my group at school has one cousin confirmed dead, and four others missing. The pictures of the scene are awful...just utter devastation.
Even some of our celebrities got hit. As it was so soon after the end of our football season, several clubs were having end of season trips to Bali. Four clubs from the national league were in Bali around the time of the bombing. All had been partying in that bar every day, but luckily, most of them had decided to stay in their hotels or go home that day. Still, one player is in hospital with burns to fifty percent of his body, and another, recently retired player, was one of the first on the scene, and saw people blown to bits.
The media's saying it was an attack aimed at Australians. I'm not quite so sure. If you're an Islamic terrorist in Indonesia, Bali is the most obvious target, because it's frequented by Westerners from many countries. But it does seem strange that they hit a bar particularly popular with Australian tourists. As far as I know, this bombing is the worst massacre of Australians, civilian or not, since the Vietnam War.
In any case, I think it's going to throw the support of the Australian people right behind the US offensive against Iraq. We mightn't have great military strength but...this is our Pearl Harbor.
September 11 shocked us all down here, but this has hit a lot closer to home. It's as close to an attack on Australian soil as you could get without actually being on Australian soil - the most popular holiday destination for Australians, just off our northern coast, and in one of the bars most popular with Australian tourists.
Our airforce has had to fly all the injured out, two people died on the way to Darwin. The hospitals in Darwin are packed to the brim, and people have had to be flown to hospitals all over the country.
One girl in my group at school has one cousin confirmed dead, and four others missing. The pictures of the scene are awful...just utter devastation.
Even some of our celebrities got hit. As it was so soon after the end of our football season, several clubs were having end of season trips to Bali. Four clubs from the national league were in Bali around the time of the bombing. All had been partying in that bar every day, but luckily, most of them had decided to stay in their hotels or go home that day. Still, one player is in hospital with burns to fifty percent of his body, and another, recently retired player, was one of the first on the scene, and saw people blown to bits.
The media's saying it was an attack aimed at Australians. I'm not quite so sure. If you're an Islamic terrorist in Indonesia, Bali is the most obvious target, because it's frequented by Westerners from many countries. But it does seem strange that they hit a bar particularly popular with Australian tourists. As far as I know, this bombing is the worst massacre of Australians, civilian or not, since the Vietnam War.
In any case, I think it's going to throw the support of the Australian people right behind the US offensive against Iraq. We mightn't have great military strength but...this is our Pearl Harbor.
I have to admit to being quite rattled by the bombing. Especially by the fact that some of our celebrities were killed. When it was first on the news, I ignored it - but now I'm starting to realize just how horrible it truely was.
I'll admit to feeling rather nervous. I guess I don't feel quite as safe now... which is reasonably silly, but I can't help it.
To be honest, when I was thinking about the attack today, I found myself saying "But why near us? Aren't we a western cultue and therefore exempt from warfare?" Yet even as I thought that I realized that a) it wasn't even in Australia, even though it was startlingly close and b) that it wasn't necissarily aimed at Australians.
Ack... I dunno.
ddgrin:
I'll admit to feeling rather nervous. I guess I don't feel quite as safe now... which is reasonably silly, but I can't help it.
To be honest, when I was thinking about the attack today, I found myself saying "But why near us? Aren't we a western cultue and therefore exempt from warfare?" Yet even as I thought that I realized that a) it wasn't even in Australia, even though it was startlingly close and b) that it wasn't necissarily aimed at Australians.
Ack... I dunno.
ddgrin:I agree with your first part, in that I don't think it's an attack on Australians. Of anyone to target, I would think Australians, who are fairly self-contained in the overall scheme of foreign affairs (certainly in comparison to countries like the US and UK) would be a poor target.
And if it was Islamic terrorists, I agree that it will sway support in that part of the world behind the UN and US missions.
However, your analogy to Pearl Harbor is very inaccurate. This was an act of terrorism against civilians. Pearl Harbor was an act of war against military targets.
While both have similar backgrounds in that they were surprise attacks, it's easier, thinking rationally, to justify a military strike than it is a terrorist attack. People can understand a military attack. Most people, myself included, can't fathom the motives or purpose behind a terrorist attack of this nature.
