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US is pissed over Bashir court decision
The United States says it is "extremely disappointed" by an Indonesian court decision to halve a three-year prison term imposed on militant Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir and urged Jakarta to be firm in its fight against terrorism. "Extensive evidence" presented during Bashirâs trial had described "his leadership role and his personal involvement in terrorist activities", US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "Weâve not yet seen an official verdict or a rationale for a judgment of reduction of sentences, but I think itâs safe to say weâd be extremely disappointed were the Supreme Court to reduce Abu Bakar Bashirâs prison sentence to 18 months, as has been reported," Mr Boucher said. Supreme Court spokesman Joko Upoyo announced in Jakarta on Tuesday that the court had reduced Bashirâs sentence for immigration offences and forgery to one and a half years. Tuesdayâs ruling means that Bashir, accused by foreign governments of having led the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror group, could be free within weeks or months. Mr Boucher, noting what he called the murder of innocent men, women and children, and other violent acts, such as bombings, in Indonesia, said they demonstrated that terrorism remained a "grave threat" to the security of the South-East Asian nation and its neighbours. "We believe that Indonesia and its government need to stand firm against that threat," he said. "If heâs to be released, then that obviously would give Jemaah Islamiah a bit of revitalisation," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-03-10 |
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