Amos
March 4th, 2005, 14:11
JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 3 - For more than two years, the Bush administration pressed the Indonesian government to prosecute a radical Islamic cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, whom the Americans portrayed as Osama bin Laden's lieutenant in Southeast Asia.
On Thursday, an Indonesian court essentially rejected all of the American accusations, acquitting Mr. Bashir, 66, of all terrorism charges in the bombings in the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, in August 2003, and of having directed the bombings of nightclubs in Bali in October 2002. In what appears to be a concession to the American pressure, the five judges did convict Mr. Bashir of one of eight counts, of criminal conspiracy in connection with the bombings of the Bali nightclubs, because the judges said he "knew the perpetrators," and his words may have encouraged them
The judges sentenced Mr. Bashir to 30 months in prison, but said that he would receive credit for the 10 months he had served awaiting trial. The United States and Australia, which had pushed equally hard for his prosecution, expressed disappointment with the outcome.
...
Mr. Mbai said that it was "very significant" that the judges had sentenced Mr. Bashir at all.
"It shows our judges have the courage to punish him," Mr. Mbai said.
full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/international/asia/04indo.html?th
the behaviour of the americans and australians has been utterly deplorable. it's a relief to note that the judges had more than just the courage to punish Bashir, but also the courage to not bow to pressure from Bush, Howard and all the others who called for him to be put to death. they tried to meddle in Indonesia's judicial process, a place where they have no right to be meddling. and such a lack of respect for human life they exhibited. politicians calling for death sentences? against a man who can't even be proven to have done anything wrong? in a whole different country? trying to use what powers they have to see that it gets done? it's disgusting. completely fucking pathetic, they should have been sacked for making the comments at all. survivors of the bombing have been just as bad, or the ones shown by the media have anyway. but at least they had no chance of influencing anything. i wonder how any one of those politicans or people would have responded had the judges said to Bashir something like "okay, we were going to give you just 30 months, but this guy in australia has called for the death penalty, so that's what you're getting. we're even going to fly him over so he can carry out the sentence personally. we hereby sentence you to death by strangulation."
attempting to kill someone, as much to make an example as for revenge? pressuring judges? isn't that terrorism and subversion? the same charges laid against Bashir? there's more evidence for their prosecution than his.
On Thursday, an Indonesian court essentially rejected all of the American accusations, acquitting Mr. Bashir, 66, of all terrorism charges in the bombings in the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, in August 2003, and of having directed the bombings of nightclubs in Bali in October 2002. In what appears to be a concession to the American pressure, the five judges did convict Mr. Bashir of one of eight counts, of criminal conspiracy in connection with the bombings of the Bali nightclubs, because the judges said he "knew the perpetrators," and his words may have encouraged them
The judges sentenced Mr. Bashir to 30 months in prison, but said that he would receive credit for the 10 months he had served awaiting trial. The United States and Australia, which had pushed equally hard for his prosecution, expressed disappointment with the outcome.
...
Mr. Mbai said that it was "very significant" that the judges had sentenced Mr. Bashir at all.
"It shows our judges have the courage to punish him," Mr. Mbai said.
full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/international/asia/04indo.html?th
the behaviour of the americans and australians has been utterly deplorable. it's a relief to note that the judges had more than just the courage to punish Bashir, but also the courage to not bow to pressure from Bush, Howard and all the others who called for him to be put to death. they tried to meddle in Indonesia's judicial process, a place where they have no right to be meddling. and such a lack of respect for human life they exhibited. politicians calling for death sentences? against a man who can't even be proven to have done anything wrong? in a whole different country? trying to use what powers they have to see that it gets done? it's disgusting. completely fucking pathetic, they should have been sacked for making the comments at all. survivors of the bombing have been just as bad, or the ones shown by the media have anyway. but at least they had no chance of influencing anything. i wonder how any one of those politicans or people would have responded had the judges said to Bashir something like "okay, we were going to give you just 30 months, but this guy in australia has called for the death penalty, so that's what you're getting. we're even going to fly him over so he can carry out the sentence personally. we hereby sentence you to death by strangulation."
attempting to kill someone, as much to make an example as for revenge? pressuring judges? isn't that terrorism and subversion? the same charges laid against Bashir? there's more evidence for their prosecution than his.