(12 Jul 2006)
1. Australian Prime Minister John Howard approaching podium
2. SOUNDBITE (English): John Howard, Australian Prime Minister:
"And this terrorist attack is an attack on the democratic way of life. And it's just as much an attack on the democratic way of life in India as the attacks in New York and Washington were on the democratic way of life in the United States. And I send my sympathy, my support, my compassion, my expression of concern to the Indian people and to the Indian government. And, in doing that, I remind all of my fellow Australians that we can never be complacent about the terrorist threat within our own midst. It's not as bad as it is in most other countries. We don't have active terrorist cells in the way that many countries around the world do. But we cannot afford to assume that it will never happen in this country."
3. Howard leaves podium
STORYLINE:
Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday joined other world leaders in condemning a series of train bombings that killed at least 190 people in the Indian city of Mumbai, and warned that similar attacks could occur elsewhere at any time.
Eight bombs tore through packed Mumbai commuter trains during the Tuesday evening rush hour in a well-coordinated attack on one of India's main commercial centres.
On Wednesday the Press Trust of India quoted police as saying the toll had hit 190 dead and 625 wounded.
Speaking at a working man's club in the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown, Howard condemned the bombings as "an attack on the democratic way of life."
"We can never be complacent about the terrorist threat within our own midst," said Howard, who visited Mumbai in March.
Suspicion for the blasts quickly fell on Kashmiri militants who have in the past carried out near-simultaneous attacks on Indian cities, including
bombings last year at three markets in New Delhi, that killed 59 people.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
