December 22, 2006

Indonesian cleric Bashir says ruling a 'blow' to West

By Ahmad Pathoni

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir said on Friday that a court ruling clearing him of any part in the 2002 Bali bombings was a blow to the West and served as a warning that Western attempts to subjugate Indonesia would fail.

Indonesia's Supreme Court on Thursday overturned Bashir's conviction for conspiracy in the bombings on the resort island, which killed 202, most of them foreign tourists. Australia, which lost 88 nationals in the attack, reacted angrily to the ruling.

Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir speaks during an interview in Bandung, West Java province in this June 30, 2006 file photo. Bashir said on Friday that a court ruling clearing him of any part in the 2002 Bali bombings was a blow to the West and served as a warning that Western attempts to subjugate Indonesia would fail. (REUTERS/Dadang Tri)

"This is evidence that even though all this time the West think that they can subjugate Indonesia, there are still some Muslims and Indonesians who have the courage to convey the truth," Bashir told Elshinta radio in a telephone interview.

Bashir, 68, was released in June after completing 26 months of a 30-month jail sentence for being part of a conspiracy behind the nightclub bombings.

"I hope the West will open their eyes and if they remain adamant, there will be heavier blows. This is a blow and warning for the West," he said.

Separately, a judge delayed a hearing on a review of the death sentences handed down against three Bali bombers, Amrozi -- known as the 'smiling bomber' for his delight at the carnage -- Imam Samudra and Mukhlas, after the defence failed to appear.

Chief Judge Nyoman Gede Wirya set a new hearing for January 11. Scheduled execution of the three men by firing squad was postponed in August after lawyers argued not all legal avenues had been exhausted.

Bashir has consistently denied any connection to the Bali bombings or other attacks. He says that Western governments orchestrated his incarceration because of his campaign for Islamic law in predominantly-Muslim Indonesia.

Western and regional intelligence officials say Bashir was the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asia militant group blamed for the Bali bombings and a string of other deadly attacks in Indonesia in recent years.

National police chief General Sutanto defended the criminal investigation of Bashir.

"The police work was complete and whole. It was conducted professionally and met the requirements of evidence gathering," he told a news conference.

The cleric said he had not decided whether to demand compensation for the time he had spent in jail. "I have no grudge because vengeance is forbidden in Islam."

He also said was not keen on demanding that his name be rehabilitated. "Allah has already rehabilitated my name," he said.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he was upset on behalf of the families of victims, but was powerless to intervene.

Victims' families were furious.

"He's going to kill more people without even thinking about it. I just cannot believe that they've said he's guilty of nothing. It's disgusting," said Australian Dave "Spike" Stewart, whose son Anthony died in the Bali attacks.

Western nations, particularly Australia, previously protested against what they regarded as lenient treatment of Bashir by the judiciary.

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