Fed: What Aussies said about the Mumbai terror attacks
28 Nov 2008 4:38 PM
WHAT THE AUSTRALIANS CAUGHT UP IN THE MUMBAI ATTACKS AND THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SAID:
"We not only have the fears, but one has to expect the worst." - Acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean warns Australians to expect the death toll to rise.
"We are dealing here with people in a terrible situation and on the basis of the advice that I've got from officials and also from what I've seen and heard publicly you've got a number of Australians conducting themselves in a very stoic and brave way in terribly difficult circumstances for them and their families." - Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on the Australians stranded in the hotels in Mumbai.
"My instant thought was that it was a terrorist ... I thought I was a dead man." - Retired Australian Family Court judge Paul Guest, who had a gun thrust in his face at the Taj Mahal hotel by a screaming man who turned out to be a special forces soldier.
"I'd like him to be remembered as a very loyal family man and that he did live for his family and it's a very tragic time for everybody involved and we plan on continuing his memory and continuing to further the business in his memory." - Matt Taylor on his uncle, Sydney timber merchant Brett Taylor, who died in the attacks.
"Brett was simply doing his job and was an innocent victim of a cowardly attack." - NSW Development Minister Ian Macdonald on Taylor.
"He was a marvellous person. Generous, kind, polite, quite a gentleman." - Family friend John Young describes Sydney man Doug Markell, a victim of the blasts.
"I'm lucky, on my phone I've got a few bits of video footage of my kids and my wife and I also just flick through the photos there. Other than that, I try to just shut my eyes and try to meditate - if you can say that - just try to relax." - NSW trade delegate Garrick Harvison, on how he was coping while barricaded in his room at the Oberoi Hotel.
"Somebody was talking to me earlier and said he was a hero. I said I'm not exactly sure that's an appropriate description. He was with someone who is obviously very special and he did exactly what I think any of us hope we would do in a situation like that, but of course we are very proud of him." - Federal magistrate John Coker on his son David, who walked past gunmen as he carried his girlfriend Katie Anstee to safety.
"As soon as they stopped firing for a second I got her behind a parked car, and then when I could get her into my arms I picked her up and got her around the corner where an amazing young bloke off the street - we were screaming for help and a lot of people were just stunned and didn't help - but a young bloke, a young Indian man came and helped us." - David Coker says a man and a taxi driver who helped him and injured girlfriend Katie Anstee outside Cafe Leopold are the real heroes.
"We have been taking our advice from the British and Americans ... we keep calling to find out if there is going to be an evacuation. We go to the airport ... and basically we don't get any answers." - Film editor David Gross, on the difficulties of getting information from Australian officials.
"In very difficult circumstances where we've got extremists and terrorists using sub-machine guns and explosives which the Indian military and police can't bring under control. Frankly, I think it is difficult to expect our officers to solve every problem instantaneously. Our people are doing the very best they can in extreme circumstances." - Smith defends officials against criticism from some Australians that diplomats simply told them to "stay safe".
