In an interview from death row in Indonesia, Bali bomber Mukhlas said he would "butcher" Australian Prime Minister John Howard if he was given the chance. "If John Howard appears before me, I’ll butcher him," Mukhlas, whose real name is Ali Ghufron, said in an interview for TV Nine Network’s "Sunday" current affairs program.
Mukhlas was sentenced to death last year for his role in the Oct. 12, 2002, nightclub bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. He said increased security and terror fears in Australia showed terrorists had struck an important blow against the nation. "Just imagine, people are scared of their own shadow. It’s the victory for the terrorists," he said. His remarks in Indonesian were translated into English for the program. Australia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars bolstering security at airports, ports and other potential terror targets as well as beefing up counterterror military units and spy agencies since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Australia also allied itself with the United States in the Iraq war. Mukhlas suggested terror attacks would continue against Australians and Americans. "America and Australia and the rest only understand the language of force, the language of bombs," he said. |