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Southeast Asia

Bashir: Funding terror camp was 'act of worship'

2016-01-14

[IBT-UK] The jailed spiritual leader of al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah has said that his sentence should be overturned because the funds he raised for a military-style training camp was an 'act of worship'. Caged cleric Abu Bakar Bashir appealed to have his conviction for funding a terrorist camp overturned because it was Allah's order. During the hearing he argued that his aid for the camp was an 'act of worship' despite the militant network being accused of planning attacks on foreigners in Jakarta, and the assassinations of moderate leaders, including former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Jemaah Islamiyah were also blamed for the savage 2002 Bali bombings which claimed the lives of 202 people. In 2011 Bashir was convicted of funding the militant training camp in Aceh province and jailed for 15 years. But a higher court later cut the sentence to nine years. At the District Court in Cilacap, near the prison island of Nusakembangan where he is currently incarcerated, Bashir said that the camp was designed to defend Muslims. He said, "The physical and weapons' training in Aceh were aimed at defending Islam and Muslims in Indonesia and overseas, and were an obligation Muslims must fulfill because it is God's order. My deed of helping the physical training in Aceh was merely an act of worship." A lawyer representing the cleric said that he knew the camp violated firearms laws but he was simply following Allah's orders in supporting it. He added that the funds were also for religious use. Outside the court hundreds of supporters waited for a heavily-guarded Bashir to arrive. They yelled "Allah Akbar," "Bashir is not a terrorist" and "Free Bashir."

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Down Under

Australia Outlaws Travel to Terror Hotspots

2014-10-31

[AnNahar] Australia on Thursday passed a law criminalizing travel to terror hotspots, a tough counter-terrorism measure aimed at stopping jihadists from going to Iraq and Syria to fight. The Australian government has been increasingly concerned about the flow of imported muscle to the Middle East to join murderous Moslem groups such as Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... , with 70 Australians believed to have already made the journey. The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) includes measures that make it an offense to enter a "declared area" where a terrorist organization is engaging in hostile activity, without a valid reason. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. "The imported muscle bill that has passed the parliament today will mean, first of all, that it is easier to secure convictions against Australians who have been fighting with terrorist groups overseas," Prime Minister Tony Abbott told parliament Thursday. "It will mean that it is easier to monitor potential bully boyz here, and it will also mean... that it is easier to prosecute the preachers of hate who create the potential terrorists." Abbott told parliament about 100 Australians were supporting jihadists who had traveled to the Middle East to fight with recruitment and funding from home. Some 20 jihadists who fought with terrorist groups in the region had also returned to Australia, Abbott added. "The best way to deal with returning imported muscle is to stop them leaving in the first place... and I'm able to inform the House that some 70 Australian passports have been canceled to stop bully boyz or potential bully boyz from traveling." The new law, which was passed by the lower House of Representatives on Thursday with bipartisan support, came as the Labor opposition raised concerns that another national security measure passed in September could see journalists locked away Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! for up to 10 years. Attorney-General George Brandis refuted the concerns, saying that the legislation was instead "intended to deal with a Snowden-type situation". Documents leaked by U.S. intelligence runaway Edward Snowden included reports in November that Australian spies tried to tap the phones of former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his inner circle, damaging relations between the two countries.

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia bans its citizens from joining ISIL

2014-08-06

[Iran Press TV] The Indonesian government has introduced a ban on support for Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... ISIL snuffies in the Southeast Asian country, warning its citizens against joining the terrorists' fight in Syria and Iraq. Speaking on the sidelines of a closed-door cabinet meeting held in the presidential palace and presided over by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday, Indonesia's Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said the rising profile of the ISIL in Indonesia must be controlled as it poses a serious threat to the country's cultural and religious diversity, the English-language newspaper Jakarta Post reported. "The government rejects and bans the teachings of ISIL […] from growing in Indonesia. It [ISIL] is not in line with state ideology," he said. Djoko added that the Jakarta government has been closely watching ISIL' activities and the possible intrusion of the terrorist organization in Indonesia. He said monitoring measures will be conducted collectively by his ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Law and Human Rights Ministry, National Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Agency to detect and prevent would-be snuffies from traveling to areas where ISIL is currently fighting.

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Southeast Asia

Obama congratulates Indonesia's incoming president Jokowi

2014-07-24

[Straits Times] Best wishes and congratulations from world leaders have been flowing in for president-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, following Tuesday evening's final election result announcement by the General Elections Commission (KPU). US President Barack Obama I am the change that you seek... , Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott were among the first world leaders to call Jokowi and congratulate him. "Last night, Pak SBY (outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) and Mr Vice President Boediono called and congratulated me. This morning, the Singaporean PM and Australian PM called me. At 11am today, Mr Obama called and congratulated me," Jokowi said at City Hall in Jakarta on Wednesday.

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-Lurid Crime Tales-

Australian FM Lashes Snowden 'Treachery' on U.S. Visit

2014-01-23

[An Nahar] Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop lashed out Wednesday at Edward Snowden, accusing the U.S. intelligence leaker of "unprecedented treachery" after he unveiled Canberra's efforts to spy on Indonesia. Bishop praised cooperation with Washington and reserved harsh words for Snowden, whose revelations led Indonesia to halt work with Australia to stem people smuggling, a key priority for new conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Shortly before a meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... in Washington, Bishop said Snowden "continues to shamefully betray his nation while skulking in Russia. "This represents unprecedented treachery; he is no hero," she added, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Snowden claims his actions were driven by a desire for transparency, but in fact they strike at the heart of the collaboration between those nations in world affairs that stand at the forefront of protecting human freedom," she said. Reports based on Snowden's leaks said that the close US ally tried to bug the phones of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and members of his inner circle in 2009. Indonesia protested by recalling its ambassador and suspending military and immigration cooperation.

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia suspects new terrorist links to al Qaeda

2012-11-02

A group of 11 suspected terrorists arrested in Indonesia in the past week for allegedly planning to attack the U.S. Embassy and other American targets is likely connected to remnants of Jemaah Islamiyah, according to Indonesia's counterterrorism head. Ansyaad Mbai said interrogation of the group would probably show they are linked with Jemaah Islamiyah, which was al Qaeda's chief franchise in Southeast Asia and the group that carried out the Bali bombings 10 years ago. He said the group "looked new at first, but we've found that they're connected to the previous terrorist networks." The arrests came as government forces stepped up operations on the northern island of Sulawesi. Police on Wednesday killed one suspect and arrested two others in a shootout in the Sulawesi town of Poso. Mbai said Poso is the new front in Indonesia's fight against Islamism. Officials say militants are fomenting sectarian unrest between Muslims and Christians in Poso to destabilize the country and advance their ultimate goal of creating an Islamic nation. Mbai said, "The center of gravity for terrorism in Indonesia is Solo [in Central Java], but Poso is used as the training grounds now. The situation is already critical. People are scared." He said it was possible that some of the men apprehended during the past week in the plot against the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta received training in Poso. The 11 suspects were all arrested in cities on Java: Bogor, Solo and Madiun. Indonesian police said the suspects were planning attacks on the embassy, the U.S. Consulate in Surabaya and an office of the Indonesian arm of a U.S. mining company. Indonesian police identified the suspects as being from a little-known group called Haraqah Sunni for Indonesian Society, or Hasmi. The group targeted American interests in part for revenge following the anti-Islam video clip, that triggered protests around the Muslim world. Amar said, "From the investigation so far, we know that one of the reasons why they will launch the act of terrorism is this movie, which they view is a blasphemy against Islam. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in a speech on Tuesday, called on Indonesia's citizens to fight terrorism but added that the rest of the world needs to be careful about angering extremist elements. He said, "I am also calling on to the world, to countries to uphold mutual respect and be sensitive to [values] in other communities, in other nations, in other religions. Stop blasphemies." Southeast Asia's terror situation is not confined to Indonesia. Lebanese officials last week arrested two Malaysians in Beirut on suspicion of having links with al Qaeda. Marwan Sinno, the lawyer representing the two Malaysians, said they had been accused of working for al Qaeda and planning a terrorist act in Syria.

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Down Under

Indonesian leader offers Australia olive branch: joint disaster exercises

2012-07-06

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is proposing joint disaster exercises between militaries in the Asia-Pacific region in an apparent signal that Jakarta will lower its rhetoric on a potential United States drone base and troop deployments to Australia. Indonesian officials initially said that the deployment would create tension and mistrust. During his two-day visit to Darwin, Yudhoyono made no mention of the deployment, while suggesting that nations in the region, including China, might join the US in planning disaster relief operations. Australia has promoted the US Marines' presence and Darwin's proximity to Indonesia as useful for emergency relief operations in case of future disasters or emergencies. Beijing, however, has been wary of Washington's intentions in the Asia-Pacific region, with hawkish voices in the Chinese military saying that the US has been intent on encircling China and frustrating its rise. Indonesia previously participated in a multi-nation military disaster relief exercise, hosting an event in Manado, North Sulawesi, involving 20 countries in 2011.

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia arrests suspect in suicide bombings

2011-10-03

JAKARTA - The Indonesian authorities said yesterday that they have captured one of their five most-wanted snuffies in connection with two suicide-kabooms this year. The suspect, identified as Beni Asri, was tossed in the clink on Friday at his home in the town of Solok in West Sumatra, about 930km from the capital Jakarta, said police front man Anton Bachrul Alam. Asri was brought to Jakarta to be questioned over a suicide kaboom on a church in the Central Java town of Solo on Sept 25 that injured at least 20 people. "We have a week to investigate," Mr Alam said. The 26-year-old is also one of five men wanted for allegedly plotting an April suicide kaboom that injured 30 coppers praying in a mosque in the West Java town of Cirebon. Police suspect Asri has connections with members of a group founded by Abu Bakar Bashir ... Leader of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council and proprietor of the al-Mukmin madrassah in Ngruki. The spriritual head of Jemaah Islamiya, which he denies exists. Bashir was jugged and then released in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings, which he blamed on a conspiracy among the U.S., Israel, and Australia ... , 73, the spiritual leader behind the 2002 Bali bombings, who was recently nabbed for 15 years for planning attacks against foreigners and moderate Mohammedans, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Indonesia has been hit by a string of suicide kabooms blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah and its offshoots since 2002, when the Bali bombings killed 202 people. Subsequent attacks targeting restaurants and hotels have been far less deadly, however, and the last occurred more than two years ago, thanks in large to a security crackdown. But bombings by solo "jihadis" targeting Christians, security officers and Islamic sects deemed blasphemous by hard-liners have continued. In a sign of the government's struggle to contain militancy, the authorities have blocked 300 Internet sites this year suspected of promoting terrorism and hatred. Critics say the President, who relies heavily on Islamic parties in Parliament, has remained largely silent as minorities have been attacked by hard-liners or seen their houses of worship torched or closed. Agencies

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia arrests suspect in suicide bombings

2011-10-03

JAKARTA - The Indonesian authorities said yesterday that they have captured one of their five most-wanted militants in connection with two suicide-bomb attacks this year. The suspect, identified as Beni Asri, was arrested on Friday at his home in the town of Solok in West Sumatra, about 930km from the capital Jakarta, said police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam. Asri was brought to Jakarta to be questioned over a suicide bomb attack on a church in the Central Java town of Solo on Sept 25 that injured at least 20 people. "We have a week to investigate," Mr Alam said. The 26-year-old is also one of five men wanted for allegedly plotting an April suicide bombing that injured 30 police officers praying in a mosque in the West Java town of Cirebon. Police suspect Asri has connections with members of a group founded by Abu Bakar Bashir, 73, the spiritual leader behind the 2002 Bali bombings, who was recently jailed for 15 years for planning attacks against foreigners and moderate Muslims, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Indonesia has been hit by a string of suicide bombings blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah and its offshoots since 2002, when the Bali bombings killed 202 people. Subsequent attacks targeting restaurants and hotels have been far less deadly, however, and the last occurred more than two years ago, thanks in large to a security crackdown. But bombings by solo "jihadis" targeting Christians, security officers and Islamic sects deemed blasphemous by hard-liners have continued. In a sign of the government's struggle to contain militancy, the authorities have blocked 300 Internet sites this year suspected of promoting terrorism and hatred. Critics say the President, who relies heavily on Islamic parties in Parliament, has remained largely silent as minorities have been attacked by hard-liners or seen their houses of worship torched or closed. Agencies

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia urged to axe minister for discrimination

2011-03-16

Somehow it's not surprising that they have a Minister for Discrimination... [Straits Times] HUMAN rights activists urged Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday to sack his religious affairs minister and to lift a ban on a minority Islamic group practising in public. Some provincial administrations in the world's most populous Mohammedan country have issued local decrees prohibiting members of the Ahmadiyah sect from displaying signs identifying their mosques and schools. The provincial regulations came into force after Islamist fanatics brutally murdered three Ahmadiyah adherents in early February. Two days later another mob of enraged Mohammedans rampaged through the streets and set fire to churches. 'Repeated calls by religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali to ban the Ahmadiyah fan the flames of violence against the group,' Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said in a statement. 'President Yudhoyono should signal that such discrimination has no place in a society that promotes religious tolerance and remove Suryadharma Ali from his post,' he added. A shocking video of one of the attacks shows hundreds of Mohammedan fanatics armed with machetes, sticks and rocks screaming 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Greater) as they set upon their victims in a wild frenzy.

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Southeast Asia

Indonesian Islamic cleric denies terrorism charges

2011-02-25

[Straits Times] INDONESIA'S most famous Islamic holy man Abu Bakar Bashir ... Leader of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council and proprietor of the al-Mukmin madrassah in Ngruki. The spriritual head of Jemaah Islamiya, which he denies exists. Bashir was jugged and then released in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings, which he blamed on a conspiracy among the U.S., Israel, and Australia ... denies he helped set up, fund and arm a new terror cell in western Indonesia. He told judges at the South Jakarta District Court early on Thursday he was the victim of a US conspiracy and that all charges against him have been fabricated. Hey...it worked the last time. The 72-year-old imam faces a maximum penalty of death. He was met by hundreds of supporters who packed into the courtroom and gathered outside, shouting 'Allah Akbar!' or 'God is Great!' Prosecutors say the new terrorist cell uncovered last year in Aceh province had been planning Mumbai-style gun attacks on foreigners in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and the liquidation of prominent figures like President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

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Southeast Asia

Yudhoyono denounces religious violence

2011-02-10

[Straits Times] INDONESIA'S president says violent, hard-line groups should be disbanded after mobs set churches on fire and killed three members of a minority Islamic sect. The attacks raised concerns about escalating religious intolerance in the secular nation that has more than 220 million Mohammedans, most of whom are moderate. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - who relies heavily on Islamic parties in parliament and rarely criticises hard-liners - did not identify any group by name on Wednesday. But he said such violence 'was against the law' and groups involved 'should be disbanded.' On Sunday, 1,500 hard-liners attacked Ahmadiyah sect members with sticks and machetes, killing three men. On Tuesday, a mob set two churches ablaze to protest a Christian's blasphemy sentence as too lenient.

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