Eight Killed in Blasts at Jakarta's J.W. Marriott, Ritz-Carlton Hotels

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Eight people were killed in two nearly simultaneous explosions at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in the Indonesian capital on Friday, July 17, 2009.

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By John Aglionby

Special to The Washington Post
Friday, July 17, 2009; 10:58 AM

JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 17 -- Eight people were killed Friday in two separate explosions at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in central Jakarta, just over a week after the world's most populous majority-Muslim nation held a peaceful presidential election.

The Jakarta police said that "low explosive" devices were used to set off the blasts. The first was heard at the Marriott about 7:45 a.m. local time (8:45 p.m. Thursday in Washington). The Marriott also was targeted in 2003 by the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah, when a bomb set off by the Islamic terrorists killed 11.

The second explosion happened shortly afterwards at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, less than 110 yards away. That bomb was believed to have gone off in the Airlangga restaurant.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the president of Indonesia, likened the perpetrators to "death spreaders," or Dracula.

Speaking from the presidential palace in a live television address, the angry and visibly shaken president said the attackers were irresponsible and inhumane. While their identities remained unknown, the president said, the government will "use the full extent of the law" to bring to justice "those who did it, those who helped them, and the masterminds."

Yudhoyono -- who was reelected July 8 by a wide margin and is set to begin a second five-year term -- said it was too early to say whether the bombing was linked to Jemaah Islamiah.

In Washington, President Obama strongly condemned the attacks.

"The American people stand by the Indonesian people in this difficult time, and the U.S. government stands ready to help the Indonesian government respond to and recover from these outrageous attacks as a friend and partner," Obama said in a statement. "Indonesia has been steadfast in combating violent extremism, and has successfully curbed terrorist activity within its borders. However, these attacks make it clear that extremists remain committed to murdering innocent men, women and children of any faith in all countries."

Obama, who lived in Indonesia for four years in his youth, pledged, "We will continue to partner with Indonesia to eliminate the threat from these violent extremists, and we will be unwavering in supporting a future of security and opportunity for the Indonesian people. "

At a news conference hours after the blast, Indonesia's national police chief said the explosions were the work of two suicide bombers, and possibly other accomplices, wire services reported.

The Associated Press reported that some of those involved in the plot apparently had rented a room on the 18th floor of the Marriott, where additional, undetonated explosives were found after the blasts.

"There were several perpetrators," Jakarta police chief Maj. Gen. Wahyonohe told the AP. "They were disguised as guests and stayed in room 1808."

New Michael Jackson Song 'A Place With No Name' Hits The Web

Posted 8 minutes ago by MTV News in Music

Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola says that there are unreleased Michael Jackson songs that go back decades, and the first of them managed to sneak out onto the Internet. TMZ found and posted a snippet of a song called "A Place With No Name," which borrows heavily from America's 1971 hit "A Horse With No Name." Jackson shared a manger with the band in the late '80s and early '90s, though it's unclear when the song (which sounds like a fairly rough demo) was actually recorded.
For what it's worth, the vocal production and arrangement makes it sound much more like a latter-day Jackson tune than anything from earlier in his career. The combination of digi-coustic guitars and angelic backing vocals definitely give it an Invincible-esque sheen, but it remains unclear where the track came from or if there are more like it. It's certain that more of Jackson's unreleased songs will see the light of day, though considering the issues that need to be ironed out with his estate and his debt, the releases will probably be spread out over years and not simply released in a box set.

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Video of President Obama's speech at NAACP convention and commentary

July 17, 3:04 AM

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Pres. Obama making his speech before the NAACP. AP Photo Haraz N. Ghanbari

President Obama gave a powerful speech at the NAACP Convention yesterday. A full text of the speech can be found here and a video of the speech appears below. The crowd and moment seemed to draw out of Obama the same energy and passion we saw during the Presidential campaign. It is that spark that made even Republicans fear his communicative abilities. I sense that the President has gotten bogged down and dismayed in the politics of Washington and has lost that inspiring vision and voice that once made people believe "we can." This speech gave a short glimpse of the Obama of old who captivated audiences and made them believe in "The Audacity of Hope."
President Obama began the speech by honoring the history of NAACP and the participants of the Civil Rights movement. The President emphasized the concept that in the civil rights movement leaders recognized that "change would have to come from the people." He then cited examples such as the Freedom Rides, protests against lynchings, and sit-ins at lunch counters. President Obama then applied the same principle to problems of our time such as HIV/AIDS and unemployment saying those problems require "The same commitment. The same sense of urgency. The same sense of sacrifice. The same willingness to do our part for ourselves and one another that has always defined America at its best." It was a welcome call from President Obama for the public to bring about change itself and be a part of the solution rather than simply waiting for a solution. The President then outlined the ways in which people can do their part.
First the President stated that discrimination and bigotry must still be fought. While he made it clear that discrimination is a lesser problem than in the past, the President also stated the problem still must be fought on every level today. These were well spoken words by the President that addressed to mistaken extremes on the race issue in America. On one extreme are those who believe no progress has been made and that racism and discrimination are as bad as ever. On the other extreme are those who think racism and discrimination are a thing of the past. The truth is discrimination and racism are still problems that deserve attention but the problems are not as severe as when African-Americans were kept from even voting as recently as the 1950's.
President Obama then moved on to the issue of education which was the most important aspect of the speech. The President pointed to the failing educational system in America right now as a problem that must be addressed to prosper in the future. Most importantly, the President made clear that education is "not an African-American problem; it's an American problem." In the 21st century economies quality education will be absolute crucial for America to maintain its dominance. We can reduce carbon emissions and increase access to health care all we want but without a quality educational system we will quickly find ourselves looking up to China and India. The call for educational reform was welcome and needed in the mist of debates for reforms of energy and health care policy.
The next part of President Obama's speech was directed toward the need for increased personal responsibility amongst Americans. While once again emphasizing the proper role of government in making opportunity available for all the President stressed the need for people to do their part. Particularly enlightening was the President's attack on a mindset of victimization and hopelessness when he said:

We have to say to our children, Yes, if you're African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that someone in a wealthy suburb does not. But that's not a reason to get bad grades, that's not a reason to cut class, that's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands - and don't you forget that.

The quote was directed toward African-Americans but I believe it could also be applied to school children of all races who find justifications for giving up or failing. Perhaps most challenging however was the Presidents call for parents to take responsibility for the education of their children:

To parents, we can't tell our kids to do well in school and fail to support them when they get home. For our kids to excel, we must accept our own responsibilities. That means putting away the Xbox and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences, reading to our kids, and helping them with their homework.

Rather than putting the blame for failure solely on government, the schools, or teachers the President appropriately also put responsibility on the shoulders of parents as well. Parents do, after all, contribute greatly to the success or failure of their children in school with the attitude and discipline they give their son or daughter.
To end the speech the President returned to his inspiring "prose and poetry" that made him such a successful Presidential candidate. Much like he did during the campaign, President Obama masterfully pointed to the dark past of America while also suggesting the possibility of the bright future by referring to his trip to the slave castle in Ghana:

There, reflecting on the dungeon beneath the castle church, I was reminded of all the pain and all the hardships, all the injustices and all the indignities on the voyage from slavery to freedom.
But I was also reminded of something else. I was reminded that no matter how bitter the rod or how stony the road, we have persevered. We have not faltered, nor have we grown weary. As Americans, we have demanded, strived for, and shaped a better destiny.

The message was clear throughout the speech that government and the people must work together to succeed. The government must play its part to provide equal opportunity and the people must play their part by taking personal responsibility for themselves and for the good of the country. I was glad to see the President return to some of the inspiration that made the most die hard cynics believe when he was inaugurated. Perhaps the President should get of Washington D.C. to give more messages like this in the future.

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