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Verdict due on terror âleaderâ
A Jakarta court is set to deliver a verdict in the trial of Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group. Bashir is accused of trying to overthrow the government through terrorism, and experts have said Tuesdayâs ruling is being viewed as a big test for Indonesiaâs commitment to fighting Muslim militancy. What do you think... will they pass or will they fail? The 64-year old radical cleric allegedly headed the terror network blamed for a string of bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as plots against Western targets elsewhere in the region. Among those attacks was a series of church blasts throughout Indonesia on Christmas Eve 2000 that killed 19 people. I heard those Indonesian Christians are a blasphemous bunch... mustnât tolerate them. Bashir, who was arrested days after last yearâs Bali nightclub blasts which killed more than 200 people, has not been charged in connection with the Bali attacks however. He maintains his innocence and has denied any knowledge of JI — blaming his fate on Singapore, Australia and the CIA. You sure it wasnât Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos?* But witnesses appearing at trials relating to the Bali bombings have claimed either links to, or inspiration from, Bashir and JI. Whatâs more, prosecutors say Bashir was behind an aborted plot to kill Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri when she was vice president ... Prosecutors say those attacks were designed to destabilize the country of 210 million people, mostly Muslims. Authorities have said the JI wants to overthrow Indonesiaâs secular republican government and set up a pan-Asian Islamic state. With all the wonders that entails... During the regime of strongman president Suharto, Bashir was jailed for agitating for an Islamic state. He escaped and spent years as a fugitive in Malaysia, returning in 1999 to help establish a network of Islamic schools, becoming well respected among fundamentalist Muslims ... Perhaps as a reflection of the sensitivities involved, state prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Bashir to only 15 years in jail, instead of demanding the maximum life sentence ... Mustnât hurt his feelings. * brownie points for anyone who knows who Iâm refering to (no Googling!) Posted by: Rafael 2003-09-02 |
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