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Australia welcomes charges against alleged Bali bombing mastermind


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Australia welcomes charges against alleged Bali bombing mastermind

By Harry Pearl

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Saturday welcomed charges against a Guantanamo Bay prisoner accused of masterminding the 2002 Bali bombings in which 202 people were killed, including 88 Australians.

 

Indonesian-born militant Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, is accused of overseeing the 2002 Bali bombings and an attack on the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta in 2003 that killed 12 people.

 

"I hope that should this prosecution succeed, it will bring closure to those devastated by the loss of loved ones, family and friends," Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters.

 

"It has been a scar on the hearts of all Australians since these attacks occurred in 2002."

 

Hambali was charged on seven different counts, including terrorism and murder in violation of the law of war, the Miami Herald reported, citing a charge sheet dated June 20.

 

He is accused of directing three explosions on October 12, 2002, which hit a bar, nightclub and the U.S. Consulate on the Indonesian resort island.

Two Islamist suicide bombers detonated explosives at the nightspots packed with tourists, killing 202 people.

 

For Australia, which suffered the most casualties, the Bali bombs were the worst peacetime attack on its citizens, many of whom regard a holiday on sun-drenched Bali as a rite of passage.

 

Seven Americans and 38 Indonesians citizens were also among the dead.

 

Hambali was captured in Bangkok, Thailand in 2003 and has been held in Guantanamo Bay without charge since 2006.The Afghanistan-war veteran dubbed the "Osama bin Laden of Southeast Asia" was seen as the main link between Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and Al-Qaeda.

 

Bishop said Australia would provide whatever support it could, but did not support the death penalty.

 

"Those responsible for the murder of 202 people, including 88 Australians, should be prosecuted, should receive the severest of punishment and should never be freed," she said.

 

 
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-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-24
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6 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

One good thing is that o,bama is no longer in a position where he can release this disgusting piece of humanity so that he can continue his madness, as he has done in the past with other dangerous men using severely limited intellect, maybe senile.

Bush released more than a hundred from Gitmo, like him one would assume Obama would have acted on security assessment & recommendations received. Believe currently there are 41 prisoners still detained.

 

Good to hear that the Bali bomber if finally going to face Court with the likelihood of a life sentence, never to be released.

 

Edited by simple1
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On 2017-6-24 at 8:33 PM, phantomfiddler said:

One good thing is that o,bama is no longer in a position where he can release this disgusting piece of humanity so that he can continue his madness, as he has done in the past with other dangerous men using severely limited intellect, maybe senile.

Get a grip, Bush released hundreds. I loathe all politicians and if you did too we may get some decent ones ton represent us eventually. 

If this mad mussie is guilty, why did it take so long to convict him. I am sure all the rest will confess soon, such is the lovely democratic and justice programme in the US

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6 hours ago, KBsinter said:

We can only hope in this liberalised world, he will never walk on free land, Ever again..............  

One hopes so, but there has now been some comment in the media that as the guy was tortured at CIA locations before being transferred to Gitmo, exposure to torture may have some repercussions on determining length of sentence. As a speculative comment maybe one of the reasons Gitmo prisoners have not previously faced the Courts.

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