Samudra says death penalty brings him closer to God

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Imam Samudra, the alleged mastermind of the Bali bombings, hailed on Monday the prosecution's request for the death sentence, saying it would bring him closer to God.

In his defense plea against the charges, he told the Denpasar District Court that the request would allow him to "become closer to Allah".

He made the statement four days after the same court sentenced Amrozi, his alleged accomplice in the Oct. 12, 2002 blasts, to death. Amrozi, dubbed the "smiling bomber", greeted the verdict with a grin, a raised right fist and the thumbs-up sign.

Commenting on the prosecution's remarks that he felt no remorse, Samudra said he had been waging war against injustice.

"This war is against America and the world understands that America is conceited, arrogant, savage and brutal," Samudra was quoted by AFP as saying in an impassioned self-justification for his actions.

"The war against America and its allies is a war against evil, against tyranny and a war against terrorism, and this is a jihad (holy war) in the path of Allah.

"To regret a war on America and its allies is to regret a war against injustice."

Samudra, who entered the courtroom shouting Allahu Akbar! (God is great), stands accused of masterminding the bombings, picking the targets and assigning Amrozi to buy bomb-making materials and a van to transport the bombs.

Samudra, 33, said he knew that at least two of the four crimes of which he is accused carry the death sentence.

"As a Muslim ... I trust in Allah because whatever will happen only Allah knows ... Allah motivates and advises people, who with their hearts are moved to do things," he said.

Commenting on the random nature of the bombing victims, he said Islam provided that when conducting jihad one should "not exceed the limits" -- which he claimed were, "victimizing elderly men, women, children and damaging trees."

"But if the infidels themselves exceed these limits, then ... if someone attacks you, attack him equally and in proportion to how he attacks you," Samudra said.

He said the United States had killed babies by its embargo on Iraq and its attacks, or support for attacks, on people in Afghanistan and Palestine.

Samudra, who said he wanted to die as a martyr, claimed he did not agree with the bombers of Jakarta's Marriott Hotel, 10 of whose victims were Indonesians.

"If the perpetrators are Indonesians and the victims are from our own nation, that is just the same as GAM and I do not agree with GAM," he said referring to the separatist Free Aceh Movement.

He strongly denied that he masterminded the Bali bombings that killed at least 202 people, many of whom were foreign tourists.

He also dismissed testimony by other defendants Hernianto, Ali Gufron and Amrozi that he attended a meeting in the Central Java city of Surakarta to plan the terror attack.

"Hernianto, Ali Gufron and Amrozi gave false testimony as they were under heavy pressure. They did it because they were already tortured and brainwashed. I found this out when we were holding the reconstruction of the meeting in Surakarta," he said.

The judges adjourned Samudra's trial until Thursday to hear comments by prosecutors on his defense.

Meanwhile, police moved Amrozi on Monday to the Kerobokan prison in Kuta from a cell at the Denpasar police station, hours after his lawyers filed an appeal against his conviction.

"We have prepared this room for Amrozi and the other defendants who receive the death sentence or life imprisonment. This compartment consists of four small rooms," said I Dewa Putu Gede, head of the security at Kerobokan jail.

An armored vehicle escorted by two police motorcycles and a patrol car transferred the convicted terrorist to Kerobokan, which is home to hard-core criminals, including drug traffickers. It also houses a number of foreign prisoners.

A handcuffed Amrozi smiled at his guards during the brief transfer process.

The trial of another key suspect, Mukhlas, also resumed on Monday but was adjourned until Aug. 13 after his lawyers said they were unable to present witnesses from the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI).