Posted on 04/22/2004 2:29:07 PM PDT by knighthawk
DUBAI: Jailed Indonesian militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has rejected accusations of terrorism, while expressing admiration for al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden, according to the Saudi weekly Al-Majallah.
"The American accusations are pure allegations," Bashir, 65, said from prison in an interview for today's edition of the magazine, which is published in London.
Bashir denied engaging in "terrorist activities" or being the head of the al-Qa'ida-linked Jemaah Islamiah terror group.
Police say they have enough to charge him for a string of terror attacks, including the October 12, 2002, bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Indonesian legal authorities announced last Friday that Bashir had been formally named a terrorism suspect, putting his scheduled release from prison on April30 in doubt.
Bashir was due to be freed after serving a sentence for immigration offences. An appeal court had earlier overturned his conviction for involvement with JI. Indonesian police have indicated they have new evidence that Bashir headed JI.
"The United States wants to keep me in prison because they consider I am dangerous for their interests because I call for the implementation of Islamic Sharia law in Indonesia," Bashir told the Al-Majallah.
He also described bin Laden as "a hero of Islam" and US President George W. Bush and the American army as "henchmen of the devil".
Maybe he's trying to get a job at ABC?
John Miller's 1998 Interview With Osama Bin Laden
JOHN MILLER: "From history, in 1897, Teddy Roosevelt was a wealthy man who grew up in a privileged situation who fought on the frontline, put together his own team not from the army, handpicked his own men and went into battle.
You are like the Middle East version of Teddy Roosevelt."
Admiration for Osama is a requirement to work there, I believe.
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