A safer world ?
November 21, 2003 Edition -1
Hans Greimel
Tokyo - Wary of terrorist attacks at home and abroad, world leaders tightened security and issued travel advisories today as they condemned a series of bombings that have rocked Istanbul, Turkey over the past week.
In Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said the possibilities for more terrorist attacks were "numerous" but added that the world must not surrender to such threats.
His sentiments were echoed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"There must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace, in attacking it wherever and whenever we can and in defeating it utterly," Blair said.
Yesterday's truck-bomb blasts at London-based HSBC Bank and the British consulate in Istanbul killed at least 27 people and injured another 450. They came just days after suicide bombers struck two Istanbul synagogues, killing 23. Both attacks were blamed on al-Qaeda.
Security in Europe had already been increased around many potential targets like embassies and synagogues since Saturday, and the new attacks only heightened fears.
German police erected barriers around the British Embassy in downtown Berlin yesterday and police surveillance in Antwerp's Jewish neighbourhood in Belgium had been stepped up since the weekend attacks. Similar measures were taken in other nations.
Germany's top intelligence official said Osama bin Laden continued to play an important role in mobilising al-Qaeda activists, who were rallying around the US occupation of Iraq.
"Now they are once again able to carry out attacks on a major scale," said August Hanning, head of the Federal Intelligence Service.
Several countries, from Britain to Switzerland, advised against travelling to Turkey, with Australia and New Zealand warning of further terrorism in the country.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he was "horrified" by the attacks; New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was "shocked and appalled" by them.
Australians were advised to defer nonessential travel to Turkey until further notice.
A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Australian consulate in Istanbul had been temporarily closed. New Zealand told its citizens to avoid all tourist and nonessential travel to Istanbul.
Police in Hong Kong beefed up security outside HSBC bank, Hong Kong's biggest, and the British consulate general. But despite the precautions, Hong Kong officials said repeat attacks in their territory were unlikely.
India, a frequent terrorism target, also condemned the Istanbul bombings, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna saying: "These ghastly acts underline once again the need for the international community to tackle the menace of terrorism unitedly and with determination."
Japan's Koizumi backed that, saying: "We mustn't give in."
His comments came amid heightened concern about terrorist attacks against Japan. Tokyo was reportedly cited by the al-Qaeda terror network as a target if Japan follows through on plans to send troops to Iraq. And a gun battle erupted on Tuesday outside the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad.
Koizumi, who has pledged to send troops to help in Iraqi reconstruction, said again today that the situation must be monitored until security improved.
Asked whether this week's terrorist bombings in Istanbul raised the likelihood of attacks on Japanese targets, Koizumi said: "Terror attacks are indiscriminate. When you start talking about possibilities the possibilities are numerous ... Their aim is to throw society into confusion."
Koizumi was among one of the first to back the US-led war against Iraq and he received parliament's approval in July to send soldiers to help with reconstruction.
But last week, the government said it would delay the long-discussed plans to send peacekeepers to Iraq because of deteriorating security. - Sapa-AP
