Monday 11 April 2005

ST05: Official Statement from Australian PM



It's still too early to tell the cause of the tragic events that are still unfolding in Sydney. In this time of War, and make no mistake, we're in a War against Terrorism, it would only be prudent to "over-react" to what may turn out to be an improbable and tragic coincidence.

We have to assume the worst : that this is the beginning of a co-ordinated attack on Australia, and Australians, and to act accordingly.

Our tasks are threefold:
To minimise the damage already done;
To prevent recurrence; and
To catch the perpetrators of these evil deeds.

Measures to achieve all three objectives are already underway, the details of which will be released in due course. Some of these measures will cause inconvenience in the short term, possibly great inconvenience, but they're neccessary.

In the meantime, I ask the commuters struggling to get home to do the right thing : offer a lift to anyone going your way and don't block the passage of emergency services vehicles. By all means let your loved ones know you're OK, but keep it short, others are trying to get through too.

Finally, let me express my condolences to those who have lost friends or family in what is very probably a series of terrorist attacks. Let me also wish those injured a full and speedy recovery.

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