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WORLD: Suicide bomber on the 18th floor in Indonesian hotel
Kiran Randhawa and Andrew Drummond in Bangkok17.07.09
Nine people including foreign tourists were killed today in suicide bomb attacks on two hotels in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
The explosions in the city's business district hit the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott Hotels in the early hours, blowing out windows and scattering debris and glass across the street.
More than 50 people were injured in the attacks, which were carried out by suicide bombers staying at the Marriott, police said.
At least 18 foreigners were killed or injured, including a New Zealander who died and several Americans who were hurt. Britons are feared to be among the casualties.
The first bomb went off in the café of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at 7.45am local time followed two minutes later by a bomb in the basement car park of the Marriott. The facades of both hotels were reduced to twisted metal.
Manchester United, who were due to check into the Ritz-Carlton tomorrow, today cancelled their trip. The team, including Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, were due to start the Indonesian leg of their Far East tour. They had been booked into the hotel for four nights.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: “We got the news as we landed and it is very disappointing. I have never been to Indonesia before and I know the Indonesian FA have worked very hard on this. It is terrible news but we have taken what I believe to be the right decision in terms of safeguarding our players.”
Jakarta police chief Major-General Wahyono said the suspects of the Marriott bombing stayed on the 18th floor of the hotel where undetonated explosives were found after the twin explosions. “There were several perpetrators,” he said. “They were disguised as guests.”
He added a severed head of a suspected suicide bomber was found in the car park of the Marriott.
British businessman Geoffrey Head, who was staying at the Ritz-Carlton, said: “I looked out of the window — I could see down to ground level and I saw there was a lot of broken glass. I thought it was time to actually get out.”
He added: “The surreal thing was going down in the elevator and walking through the lobby and looking across to my left and noticing the café was completely blown out.”
Alex Asmasubrata, who was jogging nearby, said he walked into the Marriott before emergency services arrived and “there were bodies on the ground, one of them had no stomach,” he said. “It was terrible.” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the attack was carried out by a “terrorist group” and vowed to arrest the perpetrators.
He said it was too early to say if the South-East Asian Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for past attacks in Indonesia, including a 2003 bombing at the Marriott, was responsible.
In October 2002, Indonesia suffered its worst terrorist atrocity when bomb attacks on two Bali nightclubs killed 202 people.
Reader views (9)
This is absolutely a religious attack. There have been several bombings in the name of 'Islam' in Muslim countries - Bali and Turkey for two other examples. Extremists carry out the bombings if they feel the people at work are compromising the very strict Sharia codes and if they believe the company / empmloyees are 'westernising' their country. For that reason they are more than happy to kill their fellow man.
- Real, London
S t g,London. I'm afraid they are representative of religious believers,you have only to look at the History of mankind,or more specifically the History of religion,any body that does would soon realise some of the most wicked and vile acts of torture and genocide have been committed and are being committed by and on behalf of religious belief,and for you to call people who are brave enough and wise enough bigoted is a insult to all who are concerned about the carnage these people do is just nonsense.I might also add that japan is a peace full country and they are a buddhist
- Kev, London-UK
This is a classic example of what happens when a country that has a huge share of the world's resources
is trapped in financial debt slavery to foreigners
e.g. Indonesia currently owes $137 billion to lenders
the government works for the lenders
not for the people & the people get angry
this is not isolated to muslim dominated countries
it's happening in every part of the world
with Indonesia the debt is larger & so is the anger
end the debt - end the anger - end the violence
- Oilthieves, surrey
STG (London): whilst I agree with most of what you say (except the implication that we should have more censorship here!), you only have to read the Koran to see that there are far too many passages that give comfort to people who wish to commit acts of violence and intolerance in the name of islam (and yes, the same could be said of the Bible).The problem is fundamentalism (of whatever religion), and those who insist on readying texts literally (even when such texts are full of inconsistencies).
- Alan, London
Gavin, the IRA weren't intent on imposing Catholicism on the UK and wider world. They simply wanted an end to British rule in NI. Compare that to the likes of HAMAS, Hezbollah, Al-Q etc who want Islam to dominate the world and re-establish the caliphate.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Adam
This was an attack in a Muslim country. How many Muslim hotel workers do you think were killed? The majority of people killed by Muslim extremists around the world are other Muslims. But don't let that stop you being so bigoted. It amazes me the hatred the level of bigotry this website allows to be expressed.
If you'd ever been to Indonesia you'd know it's a wonderful country with the biggest Muslim population in the world and one of the most gentle populations you could ever meet. The people who did this are no more representative of all Muslims that the bloke who did the nail bombings in London is representative of us white people.
- S T G, London
A bit harsh Adam from Harrow, there are extremists in every religion, just look at both sides in the 'troubles'. Just midless thugs.
- Gavin, Sydney Australia
Religion and peace are mutually exclusive,Religious belief has never and never will bring peace,it can only bring strife and division,and its only a belief,but as a belief it has a lot in common with believers in fascism IE you will believe in what i believe in or retribution will follow.As religious believers are the biggest perpetrators of terrorist attacks at this moment in time isn't it about time the peoples of this planet started to turn there backs and marginalise such beliefs and there followers,we must certainly stop encouraging such dangerous and divisive beliefs,and certainly no child should ever be taught such dangerous ideology.
- Kev, London-UK
The religion of peace and tolerance is showing us once again how peaceful and tolerant it is.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
