Bali bomber denies cleric played any role in the attacks
Attempts by Indonesian prosecutors to link Abu Bakar Bashir to terror attacks suffered a new setback yesterday when a convicted Bali bomber denied the militant Islamic cleric had any role in the attack. Ali Imron, who is serving a life sentence for his part in the October 2002 bombings that killed 202 people including 88 Australians, told Bashir’s trial that he had never received a direct order or blessing from Bashir to carry out the nightclub bombings. He also said that the 66-year-old had never provided any financial support for the attack, which was blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group. Bashir is on trial for inciting followers to stage the Bali bombings and a deadly attack on a Jakarta hotel. He could face the death penalty if convicted. Full Story