Boat tragedy linked to smuggling mastermind

As rescuers yesterday battled heavy seas in their search for survivors of the doomed boat, The Australian understands Indonesian authorities have identified the principal suspect in Saturday's boat disaster as Haji Ismail, aka Sayed Azad or Sayed Jalal.Indonesian authorities last night put the number of confirmed survivors at just 34, including a boy of about 10. The number of survivors suggest the death toll from the sinking - which occurred almost a year to the day after SIEV 221 was dashed against the rocks off Christmas Island, killing 50 - is likely to be about 200. There were reports of 215 to 250 people onboard. UGG Roxy Tall 5818In comments that augur badly for the search for survivors, police in Prigi said last night all the survivors had been found on Saturday. Two remained in hospital in Prigi, while the rest were taken by bus to Blitar.While Saturday's tragedy produced an uneasy ceasefire between the major parties, with both wary of politicising the disaster, the head of the Catholic Church in Australia, George Pell, for the first time called for the restoration of offshore processing as a deterrent to boatpeople undertaking the dangerous journey to Australia.Excoriating the "evil and irresponsible money-makers" who dispatched the boats with little regard for the lives of their customers, Cardinal Pell said the sinking was a tragedy."It's difficult to see any alternative to the government and opposition promptly agreeing on effective offshore deterrents," Cardinal Pell told The Australian."Australians do not want more tragedies like this."Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said yesterday was not the day for politicking but added a policy debate would "inevitably occur over the next few days" as a result of the sinking.Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the tragedy "confirms our worst fears and the extremely dangerous nature of these journeys, especially at this time of year". The tragedy began about 7am local time on Saturday when the overcrowded fishing vessel capsized 40 nautical miles, or 75km, off the coast of Java.First on the scene were local fishermen who pulled men, women and children from the sea.The Australian government was notified early yesterday and has since offered Indonesian authorities the use of a P3 Orion surveillance plane and an Armidale-class patrol boat to assist in the hunt for survivors.Despite asylum-seeker policy being the subject of intense political skirmishing between the major parties this year, neither the government nor the opposition wanted to comment yesterday on what role, if any, Australia's softened border protection regime played in encouraging this latest boat. Mr Clare said the wreck was a "terrible tragedy".UGG Boots Outlet"Our focus today is now on the search and rescue effort and our thoughts today are with the people who've died and with the families of those still lost at sea," he said.After the High Court in August scuttled the federal government's Malaysia solution - under which Australia would send 800 asylum-seekers to Kuala Lumpur in return for 4000 proven refugees - Julia Gillard sought opposition support for legislation to reinstate offshore processing.Tony Abbott insisted he would support offshore processing only in accordance with the Coalition's policy of reopening an Australian-operated centre on the Pacific island of Nauru - a position rejected by the Prime Minister.As news of the disaster broke, former Labor leader Mark Latham took aim at the Greens and the Labor Left, saying the "so-called compassionate" approach of onshore processing was causing deaths at sea. "You can't be compassionate and you can't have a good heart, you can't have a good soul, if you encourage people to get on boats that sink," Mr Latham told Sky's Australian Agenda.After the High Court in August scuttled the federal government's Malaysia solution - under which Australia would send 800 asylum-seekers to Kuala Lumpur in return for 4000 proven refugees - Julia Gillard sought opposition support for legislation to reinstate offshore processing.Tony Abbott insisted he would support offshore processing only in accordance with the Coalition's policy of reopening an Australian-operated centre on the Pacific island of Nauru - a position rejected by the Prime Minister. UGG Classic Mini BootsAs news of the disaster broke, former Labor leader Mark Latham took aim at the Greens and the Labor Left, saying the "so-called compassionate" approach of onshore processing was causing deaths at sea. "You can't be compassionate and you can't have a good heart, you can't have a good soul, if you encourage people to get on boats that sink," Mr Latham told Sky's Australian Agenda.After the High Court in August scuttled the federal government's Malaysia solution - under which Australia would send 800 asylum-seekers to Kuala Lumpur in return for 4000 proven refugees - Julia Gillard sought opposition support for legislation to reinstate offshore processing.Tony Abbott insisted he would support offshore processing only in accordance with the Coalition's policy of reopening an Australian-operated centre on the Pacific island of Nauru - a position rejected by the Prime Minister.As news of the disaster broke, former Labor leader Mark Latham took aim at the Greens and the Labor Left, saying the "so-called compassionate" approach of onshore processing was causing deaths at sea. "You can't be compassionate and you can't have a good heart, you can't have a good soul, if you encourage people to get on boats that sink," Mr Latham told Sky's Australian Agenda.