alarmed and alarmed

Just briefly wanted to comment on the tragedy at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
How can this be read as anything other than a warning? Doesn't matter how much you say "we won't allow terrorists to decide our election!", they are obviously going to try and do it anyway.
Is this election going to be provoked in the worst possible way into being a referendum on Iraq? How does Howard get himself out of this one?
Wait...he's got an out. Remember how he said he'd pull out of Iraq if Iraq asked us to? And isn't his best buddy the President of the United States of America? So can't he get his mate to "encourage" Iraq ask us to have our military involvement in their country reduced to humanitarian involvement under the UN (remember that thing?)? Might just save a few lives.
And while I'm at it, instead of getting goddamn fridge magnets I'd really like some reassurance that the intelligence agencies are up to doing their job, that underlings aren't too scared to pass information up that might conflict with what the Prime Minister's telling the people, that public servants aren't frightened to come out and raise doubts and expose errors just because of what happens to the Wilkies, Keeltys, Scraftons.
That's all. I've got to go worry about something else--Harley's got some kind of gastro; his first, so excuse me if things get quiet around here. See you soon, I'm sure!

ps: I'm sorry about the problems with comments. I have no idea what's going on, it's a bit now-you-see-it-now-you-don't, isn't it.