Archival Rescue 50 ~ letter threat "terrorism"

Howard leaps to conclusions, shakily invents more bogeymen;

PM: embassy attack makes it harder for Corby
By Cynthia Banham, Mark Metherell and Joseph Kerr
June 2, 2005 Sydney Morning Herald

Relations with Indonesia were plunged into uncertainty last night after a dangerous biological agent - possibly linked to anthrax - was sent to the Indonesian embassy in Canberra in a suspected act of retribution against the Schapelle Corby sentence.

The Prime Minister, John Howard, issued an immediate apology to Jakarta, describing the act as "recklessly criminal", and saying it was a "very serious development for our country".

It was likely the incident was linked to the outrage over Corby's 20-year drug smuggling sentence. "Can I say to people, please, this is not helping her. In fact it will hurt her and anybody who imagines that this kind of gesture towards the Indonesian ambassador is going to alter attitudes in Indonesia - it will have a negative effect on the judiciary, it will have a negative effect on political opinion in that country."

Mr Howard held back from labelling the act as terrorism, but if initial analysis proves correct, yesterday's events will be the first time in Australia a biological agent has been used to further political motives.

The embassy and Indonesian consulates have received a number of death threats since the beginning of the Corby trial.

Yesterday's discovery was made at the embassy when two staff opened a letter addressed to the ambassador, Imron Cotan, and a white powder fell out.

They alerted Australian authorities who closed the embassy for 48 hours. Inside, nearly 50 staff were isolated but allowed to leave late last night after being decontaminated. The substance was sent for testing to the ACT Government laboratories.

The ambassador was not in the building at the time.

An Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Marty Natalegawa, said Indonesia would "not succumb to such acts of intimidation".

Mr Howard said he had been told the substance was a bacteria belonging to the bacillus group. "It's still being tested … it's not an innocent white powder, it's some kind of biological agent," he told the Nine network. "I'm not a scientist but they say it belongs to the bacillus group and is being tested."

He said he could not "overstate the sense of concern I feel that such a recklessly criminal act should have been committed".

Mr Howard told the Herald the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, had phoned the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, last night, who was with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Mr Downer told Dr Wirajuda Australia was very concerned about the incident and strongly condemned it, and that the Government would work hard to track down the perpetrators.

A spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, Marty Natalegawa, told the ABC last night that Indonesia would not be intimidated or close its embassy in Canberra.

Mr Howard said the incident was "damaging" and had put a strain on relations, which had been very strong in the wake of Australia's response to the Boxing Day tsunami.

The incident triggered a high-security operation with hazardous substance experts wearing protective gear and breathing apparatus to begin decontamination measures.

Australian Federal Police cordoned off the block around the embassy for most of the day.

A spokesman for the ACT police refused to say whether security patrols of the embassy had been stepped up. At the embassy, Superintendent Mick Kilfoyle said "the matter is currently being investigated by the AFP as a serious criminal offence".

Police and emergency officials last night appeared to be preparing for a vigil outside the embassy, with support vehicles, including portable toilets, being installed as night fell. Superintendent Kilfoyle would not say if there were any suspects.

The Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Kevin Rudd, said he was disgusted, and that the act was "appalling".

There were 360 white powder incidents in Australia after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.