The shocking pictures of the events from Bali reminded me of the "pub bombings" in England in the Seventies.

Some of us have long memories and are well aware who were the main financial supporters of the IRA - Americans.

At the time of writing, nobody has claimed responsibility for this appalling act of mass murder in Bali.

However, a great deal of anger has been directed against Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his foreign minister Alexander Downer in Sydney newspapers. This is certainly fair in my view.

In recent years, Australia's relations with this hugely populated, mainly Muslim country, have reached the "pits".

Howard and Downer have used Indonesia to score domestic political points regarding asylum seekers.

More than that, Australia's position as a place of peace has been squandered forever by these two idiots trying to "big note" themselves on the world stage with the big boys.

It is certainly ironic that perhaps the most vocal critic of the government has been Malcolm Fraser, the former Conservative Prime Minister of the Seventies and Eighties (particularly on refugees and Iraq).

Very few in the Labour Party are speaking publicly here. They are scared of upsetting the Americans and Australia's sovereignty has gone well and truly "down the chute".

-Kenneth Clarke (JP), Macleay Street, Potts Point, Sydney, Australia