Bali Bombings, the realized predictions shame all.

Bali Bombings, the realized predictions shame all.
By Bali BS News
Oct 12, 2005, 06:04

We take no satisfaction, by sole token of the fact that human beings suffered and are continuing to suffer, that our warning of a likely bomb attack on Bali during September and October were spot on (see our August 30th article: Bali Bomb / Terrorism Warnings). But, if you read our article, you will see we did not arrive at this forecast by reference to some crystal ball or unknown so-called experts. No, we simply reported what people like the president himself had been saying; a fact given to the Indonesian people through its press, but not it seems to holiday makers coming to or actually in Bali.

Bali’s tourism industry was well aware of the risks, by token of the articles in newspapers, on TV and even their subscription to our Bali BS Update. But did they warn people coming to Bali? No! Did they even warn people to take a little extra care and precaution once they had arrived in Bali? Why no, not even once they had them on their money making island did they really, truly look after them. The industry, probably through combined laziness, apathy, selfishness and lack of concern for fellow human beings in favour of short term extra weight for their wallets just seems to have let these poor people walk around without a care in the world.

Oh sure, we are aware some foreign governments also allowed their citizens to come to Bali without the extra warnings we feel were quite justified and even were necessary in support of their role to protect their country folk. A British Foreign Office spokesman said “no specific intelligence” to justify increased warnings had been received before the bombings, which is hardly justification for not responding to the general intelligence that was available. After all, in this context the term “specific intelligence” implies that they were not aware that Kuta or Jimbaran would be targeted. We therefore have to ask if the British Government could be held liable for the death and injuries to their own citizens for this apparent blatant failure. We understand giving out heightened travel advisories may have a negative effect on commercial and political relations with Indonesia, but if that is the reason, as seems likely to us, it is hardly justification for keeping “schtum”.

It was also perhaps predictable that these bombers could carry out such an attack in a country which clearly has the world’s most corrupt police and judiciary. While there are credible reports of police officers on so called anti-terrorism duty at ports taking small bribes to allow vehicles through without inspection; it is or was a travesty waiting to happen. Also, unlike terrorists who strike in other countries, the Indonesian terrorists seem to actually hold some favour with the Indonesian Government who has failed to outlaw the organization widely acknowledged as being behind the attacks, Jemaah Islamia. In fact some leaders in Indonesia claim elements of the Indonesian Government were behind or supported the latest terrorist attacks; such lovely warm words of wisdom?

But did Bali’s police chief Made Pastika do anything about tightening security on the island knowing about the criticisms made regarding his own officers on anti-terrorism duties and in light of the warnings of an impending terrorist attack somewhere in Indonesia by the president himself? For that matter, did the president do anything to instruct Made Pastika and his fine [sic] boys and girls in brown to be on extra alert to protect the island’s people and visitors? Why no, it appears not. You see President Yudhoyono ordered security to be tightened after the bombing! Which means, does it not, that security was not as tight as it should have been before when they clearly knew the risk was there?

On the subject of the Balinese police, it seems clear they are getting what they want from the International community again. Just like after October 2002, foreign police officers have been dispatched to Bali and Indonesia to do the local police’s job for them. You have to wonder what else the Balinese police actually do except look grim faced and threatening in an uneducated way at cameras and tourists with their hands on their guns. You see, they have plenty of time to extort money from people, as even the Indonesian Corruption Commission does the police’s work for them. The recently highly publicized commission case against BNI bank workers and accomplices defrauding millions of dollars out of Indonesia’s state owned bank hardly counts as corruption. It is theft and fraud and the job of the police to investigate surely? Even villages in Bali are “policed” not by police officers but by vigilante groups known as “pecalangan“, notorious bully boys who commit extrajudicial killings. After the 2002 bombings, people talked about the local Banjars or village council members being on the look out within their communities for suspicious activity, but not the police! So what do the police in Bali actually do? What else! We believe they simply exist to extort money from people, not protect them, and until this blight and their colluding friends in the judiciary are removed from the island no-one can or will be safe.