Source: ABC Online
Lawyers for Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who faces trial today for treason and terrorism, say their client is anxious to appear in court.
| Wonder how long it'll be before he "takes sick" again... |
Police say dozens of officers and a bomb squad will secure the trial of Bashir, the alleged leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror network. "We have no plans to ask for the trial to be adjourned because ustad (teacher) is anxiously waiting for it. He has said that the truth will reveal itself in the courtroom," lawyer Mohammad Assegaf said. The main charge Bashir faces is treason, attempting to topple the Government through a terror campaign in his capacity as "emir" or leader of JI and to set up an Islamic state. Treason is punishable by death if it causes loss of life.
| My guess is that he's at most found guilty of a lesser charge. Chances are favorable that he'll be let off. And I think he's counting on that, too. But he never counted on being arrested, either... |
Bashir last year dismissed claims he is linked to terrorism, as "manipulations by the United States and the Jews". JI is blamed for the Bali bombings which killed 202 people last October, including 88 Australians, and for a series of other blasts. The cleric is also accused of ordering the assassination of current President Megawati Sukarnoputri, when she was still vice president. Mukhlas, a fellow JI member and a key suspect in the Bali bombings, is said to have refused the assassination order on the grounds that it was not feasible.
| "I just can't get to her, Boss!" |
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