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| Southeast Asia |
| JI leader tells court of Bashir's visits |
| 2004-12-22 |
| The key witness in the terrorism trial of Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has told a Jakarta court that Bashir once inspected graduating troops at a terrorist training camp. Nasir Abbas also told the court that he was told by Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Hambali, that Bashir had taken over as the supreme leader of the extremist organisation. Abbas, a 35-year-old Malaysian, fought in Afghanistan in his teens. He then went on to become one of JIs most senior figures and the head of its Mantiki 3. In the 1990s he set up JI's military training camp in the Philippines. Today he told the court that Hambali informed him that Abu Bakar Bashir had taken over as the emir, or leader, of JI. He went on to describe how in that role Bashir visited the Philippines terror training camp to inspect the first group of JI graduates in April 2002. "We wanted this achievement, the first graduates to be seen by Jemaah Islamiah's emir (spiritual leader)...Bashir stayed for two or three days," Abbas said. "He reminded us that it was all for jihad and what we do on earth will be rewarded." Prosecutors have accused Bashir, 66, of using his "religious charisma" to incite the bomb attacks in Bali in 2002 and a suicide blast outside the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta last year. Bashir is also charged with leading JI. Bashir, who has been a silent presence in the court, has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has said he does not know the witnesses. Dozens of supporters attending the session jeered at Abbas, yelling that he was lying. In addition to Abbas, two other key witnesses had been due to testify today but did not turn up. Ali Imron and Mubarok, two of the convicted Bali bombers now in jail, snubbed a summons to appear. They said in letters read before the court that they had testified in previous trails and had nothing more to say. Bashir's trial began in October and is expected to drag on into next year. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |