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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: AK2004 who wrote (19241)	10/15/2002 9:12:08 AM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 27666

This is one of the main reasons we are in a state of war against islam: Top suspect a jihad teacher Abu Bakar Bashir is believed to be the spiritual leader of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, which may have links to al-Qaeda. Amy Chew reports. Amy Chew The Times, London; with files from Citizen News Services ADVERTISEMENT The soft flowing robes and avuncular smile belie the inner steel of the Muslim activist. Abu Bakar Bashir has been at the heart of the network of Indonesian Islamic leaders since the 1970s. About to be arrested in 1985, he fled the attentions of president Suharto's secret police for Malaysia. His fiery speeches galvanize Muslims across Asia with anti-Jewish and anti-American rhe-toric. Last week, he declared: "As for Muslim journalists, it's up to you whether you want to defend Muslims or America. If you defend America, then it is hell, because America is an infidel." As part of the "Ngruki Network" -- named after the village near Solo where his religious school is located -- he returned to Indonesia from Malaysia in 1999 after the fall of Suharto. Network members retain a vital loyalty to the cause of Muslim rebellion against the central government. Now, Mr. Bashir is accused of being the spiritual leader of a shadowy Southeast Asia terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiyah, and the chief suspect in Bali's deadly blast. Jemaah Islamiyah is alleged to have links with al-Qaeda: in recent months, dozens of its members have been arrested in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines for plotting attacks against U.S. interests across the region. Members of the group also are believed to have met with two of the Sept. 11 hijackers in Malaysia in early 2000. Several Jemaah Islamiah members trained in al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. "All the allegations against me are groundless," Mr. Bashir said yesterday. "I challenge them to prove anything." Asked for his view of the Bali blast, he said: "It was a brutal act. I condemn such actions." Mr. Bashir suggested the attack was "engineered by the United States and its allies to justify allegations that Indonesia is a base for terrorists." Mr. Bashir, 64, remains a free man in Indonesia, the authorities having in the past said there was no evidence to link him to terrorist acts. The government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri fears provoking a backlash in the world's largest Muslim community and alienating the moderate majority. Mr. Bashir is a recognizable figure across Indonesia with his flowing white Muslim robes and white Muslim cap. He runs the al-Mukmin Quranic boarding school in Ngruki village in Solo, central Java, where his students are estimated to number more than 2,000. His teachings place emphasis on jihad, the students being groomed to defend Muslims against infidels and to adhere to a hardline interpretation of Islam. Explaining why Mr. Bashir remained free, a government official once said in private: "He may be very radical, yes, but his views are not proof that he is a terrorist. And we cannot arrest people without evidence. There will be a backlash." Just two days before the Bali blast, Mr. Bashir had travelled to Jakarta and called a press conference, condemning the United States for its policies, which he said were anti-Islam. His supporters said the masses would be mobilized to wage a jihad were Mr. Bashir to be arrested at the request of "foreigners" without evidence that he was a terrorist. In such circumstances, "we will call upon Muslim youths to prepare to sacrifice their body and soul defend and protect ulama [teacher]," a member of the Surakarta Muslim Forum told reporters at the press conference, sitting next to Mr. Bashir as he issued the warning. Mr. Bashir himself said he personally had not entertained such thoughts. As anger builds from the outside world over the horror of the Bali blast, Indonesia may be forced to be seen to be taking tough action against radicals and Mr. Bashir said he was expecting moves against him. But the expected crackdown, if done in haste and without circumspection, could well produce a backlash where the price may be paid in blood. Terror in Paradise