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Southeast Asia

SŽporean terrorist jailed

2009-04-29

[Straits Times] A SOUTH-EAST Asian terrorist who admitted to meeting Osama bin Laden many times was sentenced to 18 years in jail on Tuesday for killing an Indonesian teacher and plotting an attack on a bar frequented by non-Muslims. Mohammad Hasan bin Saynudin, a 36-year-old Singaporean, was defiant as he was led into the South Jakarta District Court, saying he was proud of his actions and ready for whatever punishment was handed down. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks in recent years blamed on South-East Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiyah - formerly funded by al-Qaeda. More than 240 people have been killed, many of them foreign tourists. Saynudin - arrested with nine other Islamic militants and a cache of weapons on Sumatra island in July 2008 - admitted to many crimes during his trial, including helping mastermind a foiled plot to hijack a Russian Aeroflot plane and crash it into the terminal at Singapore's international airport in 2001. However, the case that wrapped up on Tuesday focused only on crimes committed in Indonesia. Judge Haswandi said Saynudin was guilty of orchestrating the fatal shooting of a teacher in front of the man's 9-year-old son in 2007 and trying to kill two Catholic priests in 2005. He was also found guilty of planning an attack on a bar on Sumatra that was called off at the last minute - apparently after the men realized it might unintentionally kill Muslims. Saynudin violated the country's anti-terrorism laws and possession of illegal weapons, Haswandi said, in handing down the sentence. The Singaporean told reporters he considered himself a 'Muslim hero.' 'I met Osama bin Laden countless times,' he said, calling the al-Qaeda chief 'the savior of the Muslim world.'

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Southeast Asia

Indon court jugs terrorists

2009-04-22

[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN court jailed four Al-Qaeda inspired Islamic extemists convicted of terrorism on Tuesday. Abdul Rahman Taib and Ki Agus Mohammad Tony received 12 years each for preparing bombs to attack a cafe frequented by Western backpackers in Sumatra and for killing Christian teacher Dago Simamora in 2007. They were also convicted of conspiring to attack other Christians and foreigners in the name of jihad or 'holy war' against the West. 'Ki Agus Mohammad Tony was the one who shot dead Dago Simamora when he was on a motorcyle with his little children,' chief judge Syamsuddin told South Jakarta district court. 'Both defendants were involved in acquiring and assembling five tupperware bombs and 15 PVC bombs to launch an attack on a cafe in Bukittinggi,' he said, referring to the foiled attack in West Sumatra. The plot to bomb the cafe on Sumatra island in 2006 was aborted due to fears it would cause Muslim casualties, according to the militants. In a separate trial, Islamic extremists Anis Sugandi and Sukarso were convicted and jailed for five and four years respectively for hiding information about a fugitive terror suspect. The four men were arrested last year in Palembang, South Sumatra, with six other militants including Singaporean national Mohammad Hasan bin Saynudin, who is on trial separately. The Singaporean has publicly confessed to forming and leading a terrorist cell with the intention of killing non-Muslims. He claims he was inspired to jihad after meeting Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2000. The court is expected to announce a verdict in his case next week. Three other members of the cell, linked to the regional Jemaah Islamiyah terror movement, were sentenced to 12 years in prison by the same court last week.

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Southeast Asia

3 Jemaah Islamiyah hard boyz get 12 years each

2009-04-08

[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN court on Tuesday found three Islamist militants of the radical Jemaah Islamiyah movement guilty on terror charges and sentenced them to 12 years in prison. The three men - Agustyawarman, Heri Purwanto and Sugianto - were found guilty of conspiring and committing acts of terror as part of an alleged 10-member JI cell arrested in Palembang, South Sumatra, last year. The men were found guilty of involvement in largely separate plots but were given equal sentences for an 'evil consensus', head judge Aswan Nurcahyo told the South Jakarta district court. The judges found Purwanto guilty of involvement in the 2007 murder of Christian teacher Dago Simamora as well as an attack on Christian priest Yosua Winardi with a hammer. Both Purwanto and Agustyawarman were found to have plotted attacks on other priests. Agustyawarman was also found to have been involved in a plan to bomb a backpacker cafe on Sumatra island in 2006 which was aborted on fears of Muslim casualties. 'The factor aggravating the defendants' sentences is the fact they have never shown remorse for what they did. All their actions were done consciously,' Judge Nurcahyo said. The three men yelled 'Allahu akbar' (God is greater) as their sentences were read out. 'From the start, I haven't cared if the sentence is harsh or light,' Agustyawarman said after the trial. Their lawyer said the men were contemplating an appeal. Singaporean Mohammad Hasan bin Saynudin, the self-confessed leader of the cell, is on trial on separate charges and has told the court he had met Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and planned to bomb Singapore's Changi airport. Hasan is set to be sentenced on April 21.

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Southeast Asia

I met Osama bin Laden

2009-02-27

A SINGAPOREAN Islamist told an Indonesian court on Thursday he had met Osama bin Laden and had tried to recruit Indonesians to follow the Al-Qaeda leader's call to jihad or 'holy war'. Mohammad Hasan bin Saynudin told the South Jakarta district court he had established a terror cell and passed on bomb-making techniques with a view to carrying out attacks against Christians and Westerners in Indonesia. 'I've met Osama bin Laden a few times in Afghanistan. I've learned the lesson of jihad from him,' Hasan said in testimony during his trial alongside two other suspected members of his cell. 'It wasn't easy meeting Osama bin Laden. He wouldn't disclose his identity to regular people.' The defendants are among 10 suspects arrested in Palembang, South Sumatra in June and July last year with alleged links to some of the region's most wanted terrorists from the regional Jemaah Islamiyah network. Hasan, who has openly talked to the media from prison about his contacts with bin Laden, admitted to the court that he was the ringleader of the Palembang cell. 'I was the one who initially urged them to jihad,' he said. 'I taught them how to make bombs. I ordered them to gather all the bomb materials.' He also said he had known Hambali, an alleged Indonesian terror mastermind and Guantanamo detainee, since 1995. One of Hasan's co-accused, former Islamic school principal Abdul Rahman Taib, dismissed any links to Jemaah Islamiyah which is blamed for a string of deadly attacks around South-east Asia over the past decade. 'This is a new generation. We learn jihad from the Koran and the Internet,' he said. At the time of their arrests, police said they found 20 improvised bombs and a safe house in Palembang. The cell is accused of planning to bomb a backpacker cafe in the tourist town of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, and kill two Christian priests in Jakarta in August 2006. They also allegedly attacked Christian priest Yosua Winardi with a hammer in the same year and murdered Christian teacher Dago Simamora in June 2007. Taib admitted to plotting and carrying out attacks against Christians, including the aborted plan to bomb the tourist cafe. 'Dago Simamora was killed because he forbade his students to wear headscarves at school,' he said.

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