| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Yemeni and Malaysian masterminded Bali blasts |
| 2002-10-17 |
| Indonesian intelligence officials believe a group of seven foreigners, led by a Yemeni and Malaysian, masterminded and carried out the Bali bombings which killed at least 188 people. The group, which entered the country through Semarang, the main city in Central Java, on Oct 10, also included a European and two with links to a series of bombings in the Philippines. The paper said the foreign group is believed to have prepared the explosives in Semarang. The Jakarta Post added that among the clues obtained by the intelligence services were telephone calls made to the Middle East from a house in Surakarta and another Central Java city some. Wonder where in the Middle East that might be? Probably not Soddy Arabia, since that would leave to clear a trail. Probably the UAE. An outgoing call goes to a number. Unless it was a pay phone, the number resides at an address, and it's owned (actually leased) by someone. The someone is probably back in Riyadh or Khobar by now, so he won't really have any 'splainin' to do, but it'll be nice for the Feds and the Aussies to know who he is, in case he ever ventures out of his mosque again... Surakarta is one of the main bases of hardline Muslim groups which had in the past threatened to go after US tourists in local hotels following US strikes on Afghanistan last year. The city is also near the Ngruki Muslim boarding school led by Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, believed to be the spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiah in Malaysia and Singapore which has been accused by both countries of planning violence in the region. But Abu sez it wudn't him, it was them damned infidels, who dunnit themselves. Not that he would have any reason to lie, mind you... Thanks to Steve for the link... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 "Asked if there was anything he wanted to say to families who lost relatives in the bomb blast, [Abu Bakar Bashir] said: "My message to the families is please convert to Islam as soon as possible." |
| Posted by: PJ 2002-10-17 13:18:28 |