WORLD LEADERS RUSHED TO CONDEMN A SERIES OF DEADLY 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 COMMUTER TRAINS DURING BOMBAY'S TUESDAY EVENING RUSH HOUR, KILLING SCORES OF PEOPLE AND WOUNDING HUNDREDS MORE, DRAWING NEAR-UNIVERSAL CONDEMNATION FROM LEADERS ACROSS THE GLOBE. «THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THE VICIOUS MURDER OF INNOCENT PEOPLE,» SAID U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH. «THE UNITED STATES STANDS WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND CONDEMNS IN THE STRONGEST TERMS THESE ATROCITIES, WHICH WERE COMMITTED AGAINST INNOCENT PEOPLE AS THEY WENT ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES,» BUSH SAID IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT ISSUED TUESDAY EVENING. «SUCH ACTS ONLY STRENGTHEN THE RESOLVE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STAND UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM.» U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE ALSO CONDEMNED THE ATTACKS, BUT WARNED THAT «THIS KIND OF HIDEOUS INCIDENT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AGAINST INNOCENT PEOPLE.» BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR ALSO DENOUNCED THE «BRUTAL AND SHAMEFUL ATTACKS.» «WE STAND UNITED WITH INDIA, AS THE WORLD'S LARGEST DEMOCRACY, THROUGH OUR SHARED VALUES AND OUR SHARED DETERMINATION TO DEFEAT TERRORISM IN ALL ITS FORMS,» HE SAID TUESDAY. NO ONE HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WELL-COORDINATED BOMBINGS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED. AUSTRALIA'S PRIME MINISTER JOHN HOWARD JOINED THE CHORUS OF CONDEMNATION EARLY WEDNESDAY, CALLING THE BOMBINGS «AN ATTACK ON THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE,» AND WARNING THAT IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE. «SUCH A TERRORIST ACT THAT TARGETS MANY INNOCENT CIVILIANS IS CONTEMPTIBLE AND UNFORGIVABLE,» JAPAN'S CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SHINZO ABE SAID. «NO CAUSE JUSTIFIES THIS KIND OF TERRORISM AGAINST INNOCENT CIVILIANS,» SRI LANKA'S PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE SAID IN A CONDOLENCE MESSAGE TO INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH. PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO EXTENDED HER SYMPATHY TO THE INDIAN PEOPLE, CALLING THE BOMBINGS «EVIL PERSONIFIED.» NEW ZEALAND'S FOREIGN MINISTER WINSTON PETERS SAID THE BOMBINGS WERE «CLEARLY COORDINATED IN ORDER TO CAUSE AS MANY DEATHS AND INJURIES AS POSSIBLE TO INNOCENT PEOPLE,» WHILE THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT _ WHICH HAS IDENTIFIED INDIA AS A KEY ECONOMIC PARTNER _ CALLED «FOR PERMANENT PEACE AND TRANQUILITY TO RETURN TO THE HEART OF THE NOBLE HOMELAND OF GANDHI.»
