Attempts by Indonesian prosecutors to link a radical Muslim cleric to terrorist bombings suffered a blow on Thursday when five people convicted over the blasts failed to implicate him. Abu Bakar Bashir, 66, is on trial for inciting followers to carry out the October 2002 Bali nightclub bombings in which 202 people died, and plotting an August 2003 attack on the Jakarta Marriott hotel in which 12 were killed. Police and prosecutors claim he heads Jemaah Islamiyah, a group said to have links to Al-Qaeda and blamed for attacks including the Bali and Marriott blasts and the September bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta. If convicted he faces a maximum death penalty. The case is seen as a test of new President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s commitment to tackling extremists in his country. Foreign governments, who view Bashir as a major threat, are keen to see a conviction. But in a succession of testimonies, five prominent figures convicted over the Bali and Marriott bombings all denied knowledge of Bashir’s involvement. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.