Text message warned of blast'

Ananova reports that the Police received a cell phone text message before the Australian Embassy bombing, warning that foreign missions in Jakarta would be attacked unless the alleged head of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group was freed, Australia's foreign minister said.

"Australian Prime Minister John Howard repeated Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's allegation at a press conference in Canberra, saying the threat was not passed on to Australian Federal Police until hours after Thursday's bombing.

Indonesian police said they received no such warning.

Earlier today, Downer told reporters in Jakarta that "Indonesian police received an SMS 45 minutes before the attack to the effect that Western embassies would be attacked unless Abu Bakar Bashir was released." He did not elaborate."

emily | 10:08 AM | SMS and Politics |
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