Posted on 07/14/2003 12:36:56 PM PDT by knighthawk
AMERICANS or Jews may have added to the destruction in Bali by planting a mini-nuclear device in the car containing chemicals sent to the holiday island, confessed bomber Amrozi insisted yesterday.
Amrozi said he mourned the devastation he helped cause last October but he laced his contrition with a bitter barb for non-Muslim victims, asking God to find their families better replacements.
His regret, which was seen to fall well short of an apology, came amid a conspiratorial account of the deadly blasts.
The claim of Western involvement came amid a convoluted confession in which he admitted dispatching 600kg of high explosives, hidden in a van parked 5m from a nightclub bulging with more than 500 people. But he denied a link to the damage it caused.
In a statement he read to the Denpasar District Court on the penultimate day of his terrorism trial, the man dubbed the smiling bomber also outlined what he said were religious, moral and economic spin-offs from Indonesia's worst terrorist attack. They included a bid to rid Indonesia of the economic slavery caused by Western tourists and to force people from bars and brothels back to mosques and churches.
"From a religious point of view I believe that this Bali bombing has had a great effect, all throughout the world, especially in Indonesia and more specifically Bali," he said.
"Because of this incident, God willing, many people will have realised that they have forgotten their God by not joining in religious activities and by avoiding worship places like mosques and churches which have become empty. Monasteries and temples have become very quiet, with no one visiting to pay respect.
"Meanwhile adulterous places, like bars, nightclubs, casinos, brothels and other disgusting places, are always crowded and people are queueing, whether young or old."
A highlight of Amrozi's 22-minute statement was his bizarre claim that an American/Jewish satellite may have played a role in directing a nuclear bomb to the Sari Club.
"I must tell all of you, especially you, Your Honour, that I as a defendant in this case absolutely don't trust at this moment that the damage and victims, which is so many, including material and human victims, was caused by what I did," he said.
"Up to now I have doubt about whether this great explosion was caused by the chemicals in the car I sent.
"Some experts say that the explosion was caused by a mini-nuclear (device) – and it could happen.
"Developed countries like America, Israel (Jewish countries) and others have sophisticated protection devices like satellites – meaning the bomb car could be traced that night so that as soon as the bomb reached a certain point it could not be lost to them."
As it had been in earlier statements from his lawyers, a central theme of Amrozi's defence was that he was a mere henchman, not a planner.
He denied ever being a part in four alleged planning meetings in the months before the blasts and, contrary to his statement to police, now says the meetings never took place.
He justified the attacks, which killed 202 people, among them 88 Australians, by claiming they had a positive as well as a negative impact.
But the kicker in his statement came later, when he dwelled briefly on the negatives.
"As a human being in mourning I express regret for the unintended victims, both material and human.
"For the Muslims I pray that God let them die as martyrs and for the non-Muslims I pray that God gave them courage and will give them a better replacement."
The statement stood in contrast to earlier anti-Western rants in which he said the impact of the blasts made him happy.
On May 18, outside his cell at the Bali police station, he said: "How can I be sorry? I am happy because they attacked Muslims."
Prosecutors will read their reply to the defence case on Thursday. A verdict is expected on August 4. Amrozi's lawyers yesterday pleaded with the five judges not to send their client to the firing squad, claiming jail was enough punishment.
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Certainly the bomb contained atomic materials. Nitrogen atoms.
That's a good one! C'mon! Tell another one!
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