Bali travel advice flawed: inquiry
By Tom Allard and Cynthia Banham
August 13, 2004
Travel advisories provided by the Federal Government before the Bali bombings were inadequate and should have been clearer about the risks on the island widely seen as a "safe haven", a Senate inquiry has found.
The inquiry into the events leading up to the blasts in October 2002 that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, found the main flaw was stating that Bali was "calm" and tourist services were operating "normally".
These assurances, the Senate committee's majority report said, were made in direct response to frequent inquiries from travellers and reinforced the benign impression of security in Bali held by many Australians.
"The advice sent the wrong message," said the Senate committee's chairman, Steve Hutchins, especially as the Bali references followed warnings about other areas in Indonesia that were deemed dangerous.
The inquiry also found fault with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel warning because it did not say, as intelligence available at the time had warned, that Australians were being specifically targeted.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
It queried why the intelligence services did not assess Bali as more vulnerable to attack than other parts of Indonesia, given that about 200,000 Australian visited each year and terrorists had already indicated that bars, restaurants and other tourist hotspots were likely targets.
The Opposition-dominated inquiry concluded there was no specific intelligence warning of an attack "that would have provided an opportunity to prevent the Bali bombing".
A spokesman for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, said: "This report finally puts to rest outrageous claims that the Government had prior warning of the Bali attack."
The inquiry called for another investigation into the matter, noting it did not have full access to the relevant intelligence...
For more: www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/12/1092102599277.html?oneclick=true
By Tom Allard and Cynthia Banham
August 13, 2004
Travel advisories provided by the Federal Government before the Bali bombings were inadequate and should have been clearer about the risks on the island widely seen as a "safe haven", a Senate inquiry has found.
The inquiry into the events leading up to the blasts in October 2002 that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, found the main flaw was stating that Bali was "calm" and tourist services were operating "normally".
These assurances, the Senate committee's majority report said, were made in direct response to frequent inquiries from travellers and reinforced the benign impression of security in Bali held by many Australians.
"The advice sent the wrong message," said the Senate committee's chairman, Steve Hutchins, especially as the Bali references followed warnings about other areas in Indonesia that were deemed dangerous.
The inquiry also found fault with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel warning because it did not say, as intelligence available at the time had warned, that Australians were being specifically targeted.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
It queried why the intelligence services did not assess Bali as more vulnerable to attack than other parts of Indonesia, given that about 200,000 Australian visited each year and terrorists had already indicated that bars, restaurants and other tourist hotspots were likely targets.
The Opposition-dominated inquiry concluded there was no specific intelligence warning of an attack "that would have provided an opportunity to prevent the Bali bombing".
A spokesman for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, said: "This report finally puts to rest outrageous claims that the Government had prior warning of the Bali attack."
The inquiry called for another investigation into the matter, noting it did not have full access to the relevant intelligence...
For more: www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/12/1092102599277.html?oneclick=true