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---- Defiant Bashir Rails at ‘Pharaoh America’ For Being Behind His Terrorism Charges ----


Extremist preacher Abu Bakar Bashir lambasted the United States and its allies for their “relentless attempts” to convict him of terrorism when he appeared in the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday.

Reading his preliminary defense statement, the cleric told the court that the United States behind his three trials in the course of eight years.

He now faces charges of leading and financing a paramilitary training camp in Aceh.

“When I returned from a journey to Malaysia, the Pharaoh America accused me of being an Al Qaeda leader that should be eliminated from Indonesia,” the cleric read from the 90-page statement.

“The US envoy said at UIN [State Islamic University]: ‘We will make efforts so as to prevent Abu Bakar from managing his organization,’ ” the defendant said without citing names.

Bashir claimed the US government approached President Megawati Sukarnoputri with a request to imprison him in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp for life when he was on trial in 2003 for the Christmas Eve bombings three years prior. “But Allah helped me by giving Megawati the courage to firmly reject the request,” he said.

The cleric alleged that the US again tried to implicate him for the 2002 Bali bombings by pressuring police to manipulate the dossiers of the three bombers to make it look as though he had ordered the attacks.

“Three mujahideen, the late Mukhlas, the late Amrozi, and the late Imam Samudra — with God’s will they died as martyrs — were forced to sign dossiers stating that I had ordered the bombings. They did so after being unable to withstand heinous torture from the police,” Bashir said.

“The goal of the move was to kill me with capital punishment, whereas I knew nothing about the attacks except from TV.”

Bashir said he was acquitted of the Bali bombing charge because the three militants who were eventually executed by firing squad rejected the content of the dossiers.

He was, however, convicted of immigration offenses for entering Malaysia illegally. “I went to Malaysia because [then President] Suharto wanted to arrest me, as I challenged the unitary-state philosophy of Pancasila,” he said.

His charge in relation to the 2003 terrorist attack on the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta was also fabricated, he said. When the attack was carried out, “I was still on trial and kept in detention. Besides, I have no idea what the name Marriott refers to,” he claimed.

He criticized the police’s counterterrorism unit as being another US pawn.

“Densus 88 has the bomb disposal unit and is dominated by Christian officers led by Gories Mere. Its establishment and operations were funded by America and Australia. Basically, Densus 88 is the tool of America and Australia whose goals are to eliminate the warriors who fight for Islamic Shariah,” he said.

The term “terrorist had been spread by the Zionists, America, Australia, and taken up by Densus 88, the cleric said.

“The fight against terrorism was actually a fight against mujahedeen,” he said. “[The term] mujahedeen is attributed to terrorists so that Muslims lose their courage to wage jihad.”

Regarding the paramilitary training camp in Aceh, he said it was set up “to follow orders from Allah that Muslims perform ‘I’dad’ [prepare for armed conflict] to cause fear among the enemies of Islam so they don’t disturb Muslims,” he said.

Bashir’s lawyer, Muhammad Assegaf, accused the government of bowing before its “top donors,” the United States and its allies, by fabricating the case. “In order for Densus 88 to keep on existing, they need a big man to attract public attention, and this is why this case against Bashir was invented,” Assegaf said.



(x the Jak Globe)

------------Prosecutors Deny Political Motives in Bashir's Indictment------------


Prosecutors responded to the preliminary defense by extremist preacher Abu Bakar Bashir at the South Jakarta District Court hearing on Monday.

In the court last Thursday, extremist preacher Abu Bakar Bashir lambasted the United States and its allies for their “relentless attempts” to convict him of terrorism.

Reading his preliminary defense statement, Bashir told the court that the United States was behind his three trials in the course of eight years.

“When I returned from a journey to Malaysia, the Pharaoh America accused me of being an Al Qaeda leader that should be eliminated from Indonesia,” the cleric read from the 90-page statement.

He now faces charges of leading and financing a paramilitary training camp in Aceh.

“But we do not respond to the defendant's arguments that link his indictment to foreign countries,” prosecutor Muhammad Taufik said. “The indictment is concerned with the crime of terrorism, it doesn't carry political motives.”

Munarman, a lawyer for Bashir, turned emotional as the prosecution described him as impolite and disrespectful following a statement he made last week about Dulmatin, a notorious bomb maker wanted for the 2002 Bali attacks.

“Did the police and prosecutors interrogate Dulmatin from inside the grave?,” Munarman said. He also questioned how prosecutors could draw their conclusion from the conversation because the meeting was held face to face. Dulmatin was killed in a police raid last year.

This morning, prosecutors responded by saying the remarks "were impolite, provocative rhetoric that didn't reflect a true Muslim who should be respectful of those who have died.”

After the hearing, Munarman approached the prosecution desk and was involved in a heated argument with one of the prosecutors.

“Please, no name calling here. I'm part of the defense team. Don't make me a joke,” said Munarman, who is also known as the spokesman for the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

Meanwhile, Bashir supporters followed the hearing on large television screens set up outside the court. They shouted, “Shameless prosecutors, you are the infidels.”

Last week, Bashir said that he set up the paramilitary training camp in Aceh, “to follow orders from Allah that Muslims perform ‘I’dad’ [prepare for armed conflict] to cause fear among the enemies of Islam so they don’t disturb Muslims.”

Today, Bashir told the presiding judge Herri Swantoro that the paramilitary training in Aceh was the implementation of Islamic sharia.

“And the religious teaching should not be violated. If the sharia implementation was banned, it would be that the government had banned Islam in Indonesia.”

The hearing was adjourned for Thursday when the judges will deliver their preliminary ruling to decide whether the case will continue or not.

--------------Squabble in Baasyir trial-------------
The Jakarta Post | Mon, 03/14/2011

A dispute erupted in the trial of terrorism suspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir in the South Jakarta District Court on Monday when Ba'asyir's lawyers refused the teleconference method used for several of the witnesses.

Achmad Michdan, one of the lawyers, insisted that the witnesses be physically present, suggesting that if the witnesses were intimidated by Ba'asyir's presence then the latter could exit the courtroom during the session.

Presiding Judge Herry Swantoro said the court had maintained an objective stance on allowing the use of teleconferencing, and that one of the lawyers had been allowed to be present at the detention center to monitor the teleconference.

"Therefore the lawyer's objections are recorded and currently the panel of judges maintains the decision [to allow the teleconference]," he said, as quoted by Kompas.com.

Ba'asyir's team did not send anyone to the detention center.

Made R., another lawyer for Ba'asyir, then accused the prosecutors of fabrication. "What we fear is the list of names is a fabrication by the prosecutors," he said.

Andy M. Taufik, one of the prosecutors, retaliated and the squabble led to Made slamming a book down and yelling.

Made was removed from the courtroom by officers after a brief tug-of-war between the officers and the team of lawyers. Meanwhile, yells from Ba'asyir supporters present in the courtroom added to the chaos.

Angry Bashir Exits Court During Heated Hearing
Heru Andriyanto | March 14, 2011

Controversial cleric Abu Bakar Bashir stormed out of his court hearing after his lawyer on Monday was expelled for contempt of court.

“I will not follow the hearing without my lawyer,” Bashir told presiding judge Herri Swantoro, who had earlier ordered guards to escort lawyer Mahdi Rahman out of the South Jakarta District Court.

Madhi had slammed a book down on the table in protest to the use of video conferencing to obtain the testimonies of 16 witnesses.

“I am asking that you to get a replacement for that lawyer,” replied Herri, adding that as the chairman of the district court he had the authority to expel attendants for disrupting behavior.

“What kind of rules [are these]? You cannot force me,” said the angry cleric. “I, as a faithful man, have the right to defend myself against the prosecutors’ accusations of terrorism in Aceh — which are not true.”

The presiding judge interrupted Bashir to him if he would like continue with the hearing or not, leading the cleric to become incresingly angry.

“Is Islam allowed in Indonesia? I ask the panel to be more flexible,” Bashir said.

“Because prosecutors are in opposition to i’dad [preparations for armed conflict], this is a panel of infidels. It is haram [not permitted under Islam] for me to attend a court that makes joke of verses from Allah,” he said.

As Bashir left the court, prosecutors asked the court to press ahead with the witness testimonies via video link.

Firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has again walked out of his hearing at South Jakarta District Court.

Bashir arrived at the South Jakarta District Court at 9 a.m. on Thursday without his lawyer. Presiding judge Herri Swantoro gave him the option to stay or leave the proceedings, news portal Detik.com reported.

“The court is going to hear testimonies from the prosecutor’s witnesses, it is your right to attend or to leave the hearing,” Herri said.

“However, we advise the defendant to attend the hearing so he can object to the prosecutor’s accusations and present his own witnesses,” he said.

Bashir did not respond, but left the courtroom.

It is the second time that Bashir has left the court, he stormed out of the proceedings after his lawyer was expelled for disrupting behavior.

Bashir followed the hearing on Thursday through a television screen prepared in the court’s waiting room. Some of the witnesses give their testimony by video link.

Tension had been running high before the hearing started with Bashir stating the trial was an insult to the Koran.

“I am accused of being a terrorist because of what I did in Aceh, even though in Islam, Aceh’s military training is part of sharia,” Bashir told reporters before the hearing started.

“The terrorist accusation is the same as denying the Koran. I will not attend the trial because it is blasphemy.”

The hearing continues.