Just as an FYI, hubby got beeped and had to take to the wings. This was NOT scheduled and the weather is beautiful.

Could be nothing, but then again...

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

Answers

Sorry he had to go again, apes. I'd put money on his sudden departure being connected with all these bombings. Either AQ is building up to something big or the various cells/camp followers have orders to take out any target of opportunity.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

Key Senator Says Bali Attack Could Presage More

Sun Oct 13, 1:34 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. lawmaker said on Sunday that the bombings that killed at least 182 people on the Indonesian resort island of Bali were "a definite terrorist link" and cautioned that more such assaults can be expected.

"I believe that this is the beginning of a lot more (that) we're going to see, perhaps in the U.S., although we hope not," said Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top ranking Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Shelby made his remarks on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" after being briefed by FBI (news - web sites) and CIA (news - web sites) officials on the bombings Saturday at a nightclub strip in Bali packed with young foreigners.

Many victims of the blasts were Australian tourists.

Another bomb went off in the area of the U.S. consulate, but no one was hurt in that blast.

An FBI team was reported to be headed to Bali and the State Department is now weighing whether to advise Americans to leave Bali, a popular Indonesian vacation island that has never before seen such an attack.

The explosions came on the second anniversary of the bombing of USS Cole (news - web sites) in the Yemeni port of Aden, and U.S. officials are now scrambling to determine whether there is link between the latest attack, the deadliest since Sept. 11, and the al Qaeda network.

"There's been indications recently that overseas and otherwise that the Al Qaeda, which is dispersed now around the world, including some, perhaps, in the U.S., that these are signals for attacks," Shelby said, citing a suspected attack on a French supertanker in the Gulf of Aden last week and the recent killing of a U.S. Marine in Kuwait.

The New York Times on Sunday quoted senior government officials as saying the incidents in Yemen and Kuwait "showed that the terror network had reconstituted itself, with smaller groups prompted to begin new attacks by inflammatory new messages from (al) Qaeda leaders." U.S. officials told the Times that an audiotaped message that surfaced last week from Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s closest lieutenant, appeared to be an attempt to justify and incite renewed violence against American targets.

The blasts in Bali were the worst attack on civilians in Southeast Asia in many years.

President Bush (news - web sites) called the bombings "a cowardly act designed to create terror and chaos."

"Terrorists have once again targeted innocents, this time in Indonesia," Bush said in a statement released by the White House.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

Old Git,

The Al Q movements/bombings is why I posted it. I gots a bad feeling about the coming times.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

Yep. Here's more:

US Embassy in Paris issues 2 alerts By Paul Michaud, Special to Arab News

PARIS, 13 October — The American Embassy here has issued the following two alerts, warning US citizens around the world that they may be subject to possible terrorist attacks during the coming days.

According to the first announcement — a Worldwide Caution Public Announcement which supersedes one issued last Sept. 9 — communicated to US citizens around the world, says: “In light of the recent audio tape attributed to Osama Bin Laden and other reports of threats to American interests, this worldwide caution is being issued to alert Americans to the need to remain vigilant and to remind them of the continuing threat of terrorist actions that may target civilians.”

In the alert, the US State Department spokesman states: “The US government continues to receive credible indications that extremist groups and individuals are planning additional terrorist actions against US interests. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, suicide operations. Because security and security awareness have been elevated within the US, the terrorists may target US interests overseas. We remind American citizens to remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and to exercise caution. “

According to the second announcement issued by the US Embassy here, it makes light of excerpts of a recent press release of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in which the FBI warns that “recent statements, apparently by Al-Qaeda leaders, threaten attacks against US economic interests.”.

Furthermore, reads the announcement, “the content of the statements (by Bin Laden and his lieutenants) and the context surrounding these threats reinforces our view that they may signal an attack.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

[Footage on Fox earlier shows gawkers walking through the rubble and the accompanying narrative talked about the probability that much forensic evidence would be destroyed.]

Bali blast: 220 Aussies missing By Don Greenlees October 14, 2002

AUSTRALIAN police, bomb specialists and special investigators were being rushed to Bali last night after at least 187 people, many of them Australians, were killed in a terrorist bombing that ripped through a bustling shopping and nightclub district of the resort island.

blast A tourist at the scene of the blast

Audio: Eyewitnesses Photos: Bali blast Bali: The Facts Hotline: Who to call Aussie dies on rescue flight Terror group named Chilling search for missing Thirteen Australians were confirmed dead, 220 were unaccounted for and there were 60 critical cases among the 113 known Australian injured.

Four RAAF Hercules flew to the Indonesian island province to evacuate injured Australians, At home, major teaching hospitals around the country were on alert to cater for injured survivors.

The first Hercules to return with seriously injured Australians landed in Darwin around midnight. John Howard ordered a nat ional security review and warned the "barbaric" nightclub bombing was a "terrible reminder that terrorism can touch anybody, anytime and in any country".

"This wicked and cowardly attack - clearly on the evidence available to us an act of terrorism - can have no justification and would be widely condemned not only by Australians but by people all around the world," the Prime Minister said.

Following the worst terror episode since the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri declared that "terrorism is a real danger and potential threat to national security" - an admission the US and neighbouring countries had previously sought in vain from Jakarta.

Police and rescue workers yesterday picked their way through the burnt and twisted rubble of what was once one of Bali's most popular nightclub areas, particular among young holidaying Australians.

Just before midnight on Saturday, the Sari Club in the Kuta neighbourhood was packed with partying foreigners - the throngs of Australians included players attending an international rugby tournament and other footballers on end-of-season celebrations - when what is believed to have been a car-bomb exploded outside, starting a blaze that quickly engulfed surrounding buildings.

Many players from the Kingsley Australian rules club in Perth were inside at the time of the blast. Coach Simon Quayle said they were all having a good time and then "bang".

"Within a minute the whole place was burning. The flames were just unbearable," he said. "I'm just lucky to have survived."

The force of the explosion stripped away the facades of neighbouring buildings and shattered windows at least 100m away.

Across the street from the Sari Club, the usually crowded two-storey Paddys Bar was a blackened shell by morning. There was an unconfirmed report from police sources the widespread damage was the result of two bombs going off in close succession.

Witnesses arriving on the scene on Jalan Legian minutes after the blast described a gruesome tapestry of body parts and dazed survivors burned by fires or covered in blood and cut by flying debris.

Although the identity of the perpetrators was the subject of intense speculation, the Indonesian and Australian governments said they were undoubtedly dealing with an act of terrorism.

Fox television news reported that a group calling itself Jemmalah Salawah had claimed responsibility.

Indonesia has been under pressure from the US and southeast Asian neighbours to round up alleged members of a suspected terror organisation. known as Jemaah Islamiah, but had until now claimed there was insufficient evidence for arrests.

JI's activities increasingly have been linked with those of September 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and his al-Qa'ida network.

Washington's Jakarta ambassador, Ralph Boyce, also yesterday pointed to likely al-Qa'ida linkages to the "despicable act of terrorism" in Bali. "There have been problems in Indonesia of late involving signs that al-Qa'ida may have been involved in activities here," he said, adding that recent bombings in Indonesia over the past few weeks "indicate their presence here, that we have always suspected ... we can more or less confirm."

The US embassy in Jakarta was preparing last night to direct spouses and children of its staff to evacuate the country, along with non-essential staff.

The Australian

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

This is the beginning of much more to come, I think. Apoc, I'll keep you guys in my thoughts.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2002

That old IRA quote bears repeating. When referring to plans to assassinate members of the Royal Family and political leaders, the IRA said (words to the effect), "We have to be lucky only once. They have to be lucky all the time." And they did manage to get Lord Mountbatten, so close to Prince Charles, and Airey Neave, a Member of Parliament. Lots more were injured when the IRA bombed the hotel where Thatcher and many other conservatives were staying for a conference.

Yep. We have to be lucky all the time.

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2002