E&OE
1 December 2008
Interview with Stephanie Kennedy - AM Program, ABC Radio National
Subject: Mumbai aftermath
TONY EASTLEY: Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has called for India and security agencies in the region to take a careful look at just how the attacks on Mumbai slipped through the intelligence net. Mr Smith has also urged India and Pakistan to remain calm as tensions escalate between the two countries over who's to blame.
Stephen Smith is in London where he spoke to our reporter there, Stephanie Kennedy.
STEPHEN SMITH: We have four injured. I think the most serious injury is a bullet wound in the leg. We are assisting people to get back. I think some 200-odd people have now got back from Mumbai.
The person - the young woman most seriously injured is being assisted back to Australia, in the company, not just of a consular officer, but also of family members. And so, that'll occur, as I understand it, in the next couple of days.
STEPHANIE KENNEDY: And what do you know of if there are any other Australians that are unaccounted for?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, we've accounted for all of the Australians who we knew about, who were registered or whose presence in Mumbai was drawn to attention. And the only now, I hope, remote possibility is that there's an Australian who we didn't know about amongst the victims in the hotels. The most latest count is - the total number of victims is around 170, 175 mark, with about 20 foreigners recognised. So it's a remote possibility; I can't completely discount it. But I think we're now in the position where we've got two Australian casualties. For the families concerned, it's terrible, and again, we offer our sympathies and condolences.
But it will just take, I think, a bit more time for the Indian authorities to fully identify the victims, to draw a line conclusively on that remote possibility.
STEPHANIE KENNEDY: One minister has resigned and a security chief has also stepped down. Was this a failure of Indian intelligence authorities?
STEPHEN SMITH: When we assess these events it's always best, I think, to be calm and to do it in a deliberative fashion. And there's a difference between a careful assessment of what occurred and whether anything was missed and people accepting political responsibility when a tragedy has occurred.
What we now need to do, whether it's the Indian authorities or the rest of the regional or international community, is take a very careful look at whether anything was missed and then make any necessary adjustments.
STEPHANIE KENNEDY: To what extent are you concerned about the increase in tensions between Pakistan and India?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, I must say that generally Australia has been very pleased that relations between India and Pakistan have improved in recent times. And since President Zardari came to office, I think he's been making a conscious effort to work even harder to improve them.
And the comments that I have seen from President Zardari, from Prime Minister Gillani, from my counterpart, Qureshi, have been all very, very supportive along the following lines, that they condemn what's occurred; they see India and Pakistan this year as both being on the receiving end of terrible terrorist attacks; they certainly don't condone what's occurred - on the contrary, they condemn it; they make the point that they strongly say this is not anything to do with the Pakistani Government.
And I think it's very important that not just for relations between Pakistan and India, but for the regional community and international community, that we give that relationship every support.
[Ends]
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