British Broadcasting CorporationBBCHome
9 August 2010 Last updated at 06:57 GMT
Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in terror arrest
Abu Bakar Bashir exiting Cipinang Jail on 14 June 2006 after 26 months in jail,
Indonesia Abu Bakar Bashir last left jail in June 2006 where he had been held
for links to the Bali bomb attacks
Indonesian police have arrested the radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir on
terror charges.
Officials say he has links to an Islamic militant training camp in Aceh,
uncovered by police in February.
Mr Bashir, 71, served more than two years for conspiracy over the 2002 Bali
bombings, in which 202 people died. He was cleared and released in 2006.
He has been accused of giving spiritual leadership to the al-Qaeda linked group
Jemaah Islamiah - a claim he denies.
Bashir was arrested in West Java by anti-terror police.
Analysis
Continue reading the main story
Karishma Vaswani
Karishma Vaswani BBC News, Jakarta
This is a significant arrest - if the police can make the charges against him
stick. This is the third time the Islamic cleric has been arrested.
Mr Bashir has denied all links to any extremist activity - he maintains he is a
spiritual, religious leader and that he is being accused unfairly.
Analysts say it is unlikely Mr Bashir's arrest will affect the day-to-day
operation of terror cells in the country.
Most believe that Mr Bashir provides moral and spiritual justification to
extremist groups, giving them his religious approval, but that he is not
involved in planning or execution of terror attacks.
While it would be fair to say that most Indonesian Muslims equate Mr Bashir
with extremism because of his radical rhetoric, his arrest could create a wave
of public sympathy amongst some Indonesians who, seeing images of an elderly
man arrested and possibly put behind bars, may feel he is being treated
unjustly.
Ansyaad Mbai, the head of Indonesia's anti-terror unit, told the BBC that
Bashir was detained on terrorism charges.
"He had been involved in terror network in Aceh. As we know, that terror group
in Aceh is linked with Jemaah Islamiah and many other extremist groups in our
country," Mr Mbai told reporters.
"One of the allegations is that he provided funding to the Aceh military
training camp. It's one of many allegations weighed against him," he said.
The authorities say more details about the arrest will be given at a news
conference later on Monday.
Mr Bashir's son, Abdul Rohim, appealed for the fair treatment of his father and
said his mother had also been detained.
"We appeal to police to treat my parents well... He is innocent, he was just
carrying out his obligations as a Muslim," the son said.
'New front in extremism'
Mr Bashir is believed to be the leader of the hardline Islamist group Jemaah
Ansharut Tauhid (JAT).
It was recently described in a report by the Brussels-based think tank,
International Crisis Group as an above-ground organisation that embraced
individuals with known ties to fugitive extremists.
Police raided JAT headquarters in Jakarta in May and arrested three of Bashir's
followers.
They were charged with having links to the training camp in Aceh, the
International Crisis Group said. Bashir denied having any links to the group or
the camp.
The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says officials believe JAT had plans to
launch a brazen attack on Indonesia, similar to the type of assault seen in
Mumbai in November 2008.
JAT has denied it has any connection to extremism and insists it is a
legitimate Islamic organisation.
More on This Story
Related stories
* Are Indonesian terror networks regrouping? 10 MARCH 2010, ASIA-PACIFIC
* Indonesia timeline 10 MARCH 2010, COUNTRY PROFILES
* Profile: Jemaah Islamiah 10 MARCH 2010, ASIA-PACIFIC
* Indonesian jailed over bombings 29 JUNE 2010, ASIA-PACIFIC
* Indonesia 'uncovers attack plot' 14 MAY 2010, ASIA-PACIFIC
* Terrorism warning for Indonesia 22 APRIL 2010, ASIA-PACIFIC
>From other news sites
*
France24 INDONESIA: Radical cleric arrested on terror charges 45 mins ago
*
Guardian.co.uk Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir arrested over links to
terrorist group 1 hr ago
*
Yahoo! UK and Ireland Radical Indonesian cleric Bashir arrested 1 hr ago
*
Telegraph Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir arrested in Indonesia 1 hr ago
*
Reuters India Indonesian police detain radical cleric Bashir 2 hrs ago
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Abu Bakar Bashir exiting Cipinang Jail on 14 June 2006 after 26 months in
jail, IndonesiaIndonesia cleric in terror arrest
The controversial Muslim cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, is arrested in
Indonesia on terror charges, accused of links to a militant training camp.
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