Samudra may shed light on foreign role in bombings<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The first hearing of the alleged brain behind the Bali bombings,
\nAbdul Azis, alias Imam Samudra, is set to start on Monday, in a
\ntrial that might address lingering questions over the role of
\nforeigners behind the worst terrorist attack in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Along with him, four other suspects, Andi Octavia alias Yudi,
\nAndi Hidayat alias Agus, Junaedi alias Amin and Abdul Rauf alias
\nSyam, will be tried on Monday over their alleged roles in robbing
\na gold shop to fund the attack.<\/p>\n
Samudra is charged with masterminding the bomb attacks that
\nripped through two packed nightclubs in Bali, killing at least
\n202 people in October 2002, and may be facing the death penalty.<\/p>\n
Samudra is one of four key suspects out of the 29 arrested so
\nfar in connection with the Bali bombings. The other main suspects
\nare Amrozi, the first to be arrested and whose trial is underway,
\nand his brothers Ali Ghufron, alias Mukhlas, and Ali Imron.<\/p>\n
While all four key suspects claim the attack was mainly the
\nwork of local terrorists, their statements differ in regards the
\nrole of foreigners in the attack.<\/p>\n
Early suspicions that international terrorist group al-Qaeda
\nwas to blame for the attack abated with the arrests of mainly
\nlocal terrorists and the uncovering of shadowy terrorist group
\nJamaah Islamiyah (JI).<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old Samudra is reportedly a senior member of JI, a
\nregional group linked to al-Qaeda and to which many of the Bali
\nbombing suspects belong.<\/p>\n
The charges against Samudra are based on his confession that
\nhe plotted the attacks and singled out the targets.<\/p>\n
His claim of being the mastermind came under question after
\nsuspect Amrozi said he saw him taking orders from \"three
\nforeigners\".<\/p>\n
Amrozi's police file reported of a meeting with three foreign
\nmen, whose identities and countries of origin remain unknown. He
\nsaid the meeting led to a change in the bomb targets that he was
\nnot aware of until after the bombs had exploded.<\/p>\n
Another contentious issue is the source of funds for the
\nbombing. Samudra insists the attack was funded by the proceeds
\nfrom the robbery of the gold shop.<\/p>\n
Suspect Mukhlas, meanwhile, indicated the use of foreign
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
Mukhlas, who claims to know al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden
\nwell, said he received funds from Wan Min, a Malaysian national.<\/p>\n
The money, he said, could have come from al-Qaeda, but so far
\npolice had yet to disclose whether or not the Malaysian link had
\nled them to an al-Qaeda source of funds.<\/p>\n
Police also named two additional suspects of Malaysian origin,
\nincluding one who allegedly built the bombs. The two, however,
\nremain at large.<\/p>\n
The investigation has so far uncovered a largely homegrown
\nterrorist network, but some suspects trained abroad and
\nreportedly attended meetings in Thailand to prepare for the Bali
\nbombings.<\/p>\n
A computer expert, Samudra reportedly trained in Afghanistan,
\nwhere he stayed for two-and-a-half years.<\/p>\n
Samudra is the second suspect to be tried in the Bali bombing
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Samudra is also a suspect in the bombing of churches across
\nIndonesia on Christmas Eve 2000. He has confessed to bombing a
\nchurch on Batam island, Riau.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/samudra-may-shed-light-on-foreign-role-in-bombings-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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