Posted on 04/29/2004 1:08:57 PM PDT by knighthawk
INDONESIAN police have said they will arrest the Jemaah Islamiah-linked cleric Abu Bakar Bashir when he is released today, a decision sure to enrage the cleric's supporters massing outside Jakarta's Salemba prison.
National police spokesman Baasyir Bermawi said yesterday Bashir could be detained for a further six months while his links with the terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah were investigated.
"We will make the arrest, but I am not sure of the technical details," Inspector-General Bermawi said. However, he said it was likely Bashir would be taken to police headquarters for the legal paperwork to be completed.
Bashir has been accused of leading JI until he was arrested after the Bali bombings in October 2002.
The 65-year-old cleric has friends in high places, and hardline religious leaders and politicians have campaigned for his release, while Australia and the US have made it clear they would prefer him to remain in prison.
Bashir's transfer from prison to police headquarters today could be a violent affair, with hundreds of angry young militant Muslims ready to risk arrest and punishment to support their revered leader.
Some have said they would risk death to see him freed from prison. Last night, there were rumours that hundreds of militants were on their way to Jakarta to protect Bashir from the police.
Saiful Fallah, a 24-year-old food cart operator, said outside Salemba prison he was ready to defend the cleric with his life.
"In Islam, there is no failure," he said. "Dying is winning. If there is success, there is victory in this world. Death is a victory in the world beyond."
Inspector-General Bermawi said police hoped the supporters remained calm, and stressed that the rule of law would be followed regardless of the circumstances.
The documentary evidence and witness testimony was sufficient to arrest Bashir under Indonesia's anti-terrorism laws, he said.
"The important thing is even though Bashir refused to answer questions from the police investigators, and did not sign the police file, police have legal evidence, not only admissions."
He said the new evidence included a report on JI's training camp in The Philippines sent to Abdus Somad, Bashir's alias, and testimony that Bashir was present at the camp in 2000.
Bashir has already served 18 months in prison for immigration and forgery offences.
Acquitted in a trial last year of leading JI, he was convicted of treason, but that conviction was overturned on appeal, and a final appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court saw his sentence reduced to an 18-month term, expiring today, for immigration and forgery offences.
There you have it in black and white. It is a death cult.
How on earth can they become enraged when they're already-always-and-forever enraged?
If everybody on the planet said, "ok, we'll be muslims and let you guys call all the shots," they would still be enraged.
Some people just like being in a rage all the time. I've known some of them. Briefly.
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