Bali - The official death

Bali - The official death toll is hovering around 180, with many missing. Most of the dead and missing so far are Australians (14 confirmed but nearly 200 still missing), with many other nationalities thrown in as well.

The nightclub involved is in a Hindu area of mostly-Moslem Indonesia. Indonesia's Moslems are, however, largely very moderate. It's suspected the bombing is largely the work of foreigners in Al-Quaeda (although that's just a theory so far).

It's heart-rending to read the Sydney Morning Herald's coverage of the atrocity - it's like deja vu, it feels like our own papers on September 11. And no wonder - even if half the missing Ozzies turn up safe, that's nearly 120 dead. In proportion to our population, that's the same as nearly 1,500 American dead (their population is about a twelfth that of the US). Half the magnitude, in proportion, of our 9/11 death toll, in other words.

And some Australians are starting to genuinely feel that we are all in it together, and that the left's apologists for Islamofascism - here, in Australia, and in Europe - are deluded.

Whatever personal positions are held about Bush, Blair and John Howard, contemporary terrorism amounts to an attack on Western civilisation. The sooner this is understood, the sooner the likes of [leftist Australian commentator Michael] Leunig will recognise that bin Laden is one of those brothers who, if given the chance, commits fratricide; before, during or after Christmas.

So this past week, we've seen

• Australia attacked by Al-Quada-linked terrorists,
• a French oil tanker attacked by an Al-Quaeda-linked suicide boat, a la the Cole

Welcome to the club, everyone.

Posted by Mitch at October 14, 2002 01:04 PM