The United States' failure to warn Australia before the Bali bombings that terrorists planned to attack Indonesian nightspots was a stunning intelligence breakdown, Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said yesterday.

Mr Rudd was responding to confirmation by the American FBI that it had vital evidence from an al-Qaeda terrorist early in 2002 that the organisation planned attacks on venues in Asia frequented by Westerners.

That intelligence was passed on to other countries in the region - but not to Australia, the FBI told the ABC's Lateline.

Counter-terrorism specialist Neil Fergus said this was absolutely critical intelligence and it was inconceivable that the information was not passed on.

Another terror specialist, Clive Williams, said this was a serious failure of the intelligence- sharing agreement between Australia and the US.

Adelaide magistrate Brian Deegan - whose son Josh died in the Bali bombing and who is running as an independent federal candidate in Mr Downer's Adelaide seat - said yesterday the Australian Government had failed to understand and capitalise on the information it had.

He said because the word "Bali" was not specifically mentioned, the Government had ducked responsibility by denying it had advance knowledge of the Bali attack.

http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/13/1089694358276.html