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| Southeast Asia |
| Bashir could face death penalty |
| 2010-08-11 |
| Uh-huh... [Straits Times] INDONESIAN police said on Tuesday top radical Islamist preacher Abu Bakar Bashir could face the death penalty over his alleged role in terror plots with Al-Qaeda-linked militants. Bashir, who was arrested on Monday, is accused of funding and training extremists who were planning a wave of attacks in Jakarta. 'Our investigators found evidence that Abu Bakar Bashir had been actively involved in terror plots and activities including the training,' National police spokesman Edward Aritonang said. Police have arrested 102 terror suspects, of whom 66 were detained, in a series of raids nationwide since discovering the training facility in Aceh, northern Sumatra island. Mr Aritonang said they found that several Islamic groups from regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) to Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) had also chosen Bashir as the leader for a new terror cell dubbed 'Al-Qaeda in Aceh'. The cell had planned a series of attacks, including using car bombs, on at least two embassies, several international hotels and the police headquarters in the capital. And there lies the reason for his arrest. If he had stuck to training terrorist for the export market, they'd have ignored him. When it looks like he's going to boom the homeland, that's when he becomes expendable. |
| Posted by:Fred |