Timeline: The Bali bombing, a comprehensive overview

JP Tuesday Oct. 15

Police say C-4 was explosive material used to make bomb.

U.S. says al-Qaeda and Abu Bakar Ba'asyir responsible for bombing.

Hamzah Haz says Muslims not responsible and bombing was "engineered".

JP Wednesday Oct. 16

Hendropriyono says both technology and skills of bombers indicate they are from abroad and must have carried out surveillance before the attack.

Bali Police Chief Brig. Gen. Budi Setyawan said there is no indication of al-Qaeda involvement so far.

Washington Post reports Indonesian police arrest former Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who allegedly confessed to building bomb that killed over 180 people and expressed regret for huge loss of life.

Air First Marshall says suspect released and this proves no Air Force Involvement.

JP Thursday Oct. 17

Susilo Yudhoyono admits possible involvement of foreigners in bombing.

Authorities focusing on seven "foreigners" suspected to have masterminded and carried out the bombings, a terrorist cell said to have been led by a Yemeni national, his Malaysian deputy and a European with links to Philippine bombings.

Police Chief Brig. Gen. Budi confirms bomb made of RDX.

Indonesian Army Brig. Gen. Ratyono denies Army supplied C-4 to terrorists. Denies Army possesses C-4 "bombs".

JP Friday Oct. 18

Hendropriono says technology and skills employed by attackers indicate they are from abroad.

JP Sunday Oct. 20

Pastika says investigation team focusing on four persons, including a security guard and a retired Air Force officer.

JP Monday Oct. 21

Police receive order to release former Air Force Officer Dedi Masrukhin although suspicions of his link to Bali blasts remain strong.

Forensics experts admit some victims could have been completely consumed by blast.

JP Tuesday Oct. 22

Omar al-Faraq allegedly tells CIA bin Laden transferred US $133,440 to JI for purchase of three tons of explosives from Indonesian military sources.

AFP agent Brett Swan says because of scale of explosion "highly organized perpetrators" carried it out.

U.S. declares "technology transfer review" between U.S. and RI as high-tech U.S. items may be found at bomb site.

JP Wednesday Oct. 23

Aritonang says investigators have determined specifications of bombs but not how they were deployed, large bomb made of RDX with a "derivative" of Ammonium Nitrate.

JP Friday Oct. 25

Aritonang says bomb was RDX and Ammonium Nitrate.

JP Saturday Oct. 26

Maj. Gen. Muhdi Purwopranjono (Kopassus) claims to have identified bombers.

Joint investigating team says it's still in dark.

Aritonang says bombings were carefully and professionally planned and executed.

JP Sunday Oct. 27

Pastika says bombs made by Indonesians who "could not have done it without help from foreign bomb experts. We believe that the explosives were brought in from outside Bali" and "The technology using mobile phones as a remote control is new for Indonesia and something that requires guidance from foreign experts."

JP Monday Oct. 28

Two Generals, one police, one army named as possible suspects in bombing and subsequently file suit against Washington Post for libel.

JP Tuesday Oct. 29

Susilo Yudhoyono denies Army, Police Generals involved in bombing.

JP Wednesday Oct. 30

Pastika says "main player" identified who is also bomb maker.

JP Thursday Oct. 31

Police release three sketches of bomb suspects. Muchyar Yara says that the three were part of a list of 10 names submitted to police.

JP Friday Nov. 1

Da'I Bachtiar says they have identified East Javanese man but have not found him yet, along with driver of the van. Bachtiar says they used TNT, RDX, HDX and Ammonium Nitrate.

U.S. ambassador Ralph Boyce says media accusations of U.S. involvement in bombing "inaccurate and unhelpful."

Defense Minister Matori Djalil links bombing to JI and al-Qaeda. ASIO director Dennis Richardson does the same.

JP Saturday Nov. 2

International investigation team finishes forensics after less than three weeks on site, concluding that bomb was TNT, RDX and other "materials" including chloride. AFP forensic team member says "we have all we need to nail these bad guys down,"

BIN says bombings involved "skilled foreign experts". Muchyar Yara says "We are sure that foreign experts along with Indonesian experts or perpetrators were involved."

National Police said bombs were constructed of TNT, RDX and HMX.

AFP officer Graham Ashton say that the degree of coordination and vehicle placement reflected a high degree of planning and expertise.

BIN issues a report saying bombs were made of Semtex.

JP Sunday Nov. 3

Police release on Nov. 2 man arrested in Ngada regency. Brig.Gen Aritonang says it's the wrong guy.

Police raid house on Java and find photo matching suspect in composite sketch release earlier in week.

120 Australian police and intelligence officers working in Bali in addition to international investigators.

Minister of Defense Matori Jalil accuses al-Qaeda of bombings. Australia accuses JI of bombing.

JP Monday Nov. 4

International team says bombers are professionals.

Intelligence sources say foreign perpetrators would hide for 6 months before trying to get out of the country.

JP Thursday Nov. 07

Mitsubishi van owner arrested in East Java on Nov. 5.

Gen. Heru Susanto identifies owner of van as Amz, 30, arrested in Paciran village in Lamongan. Amz says he bought van from man identified as Her from Tuban.

Joint inquiry team issues statement that a white Mitsubishi L300 van loaded with explosives stopped minutes before the blast in front of Sari club in drop off area not normally used for parking.

Aritonang says police have not named any suspects in relation to the bombing. Are focusing investigation on ten persons.

JP Friday Nov. 8

Da'I Bachtiar says Amrozi admitted using van for bombing and renting motorcycles and other car for bombing. Admits Amrozi does not match sketches.

Panorama in Italy reports Italian national bar owner "Sartoni" in Bali arrested in connection with bombing.

Asian Wall Street journal reports Hambali as planning bombing during meetings in south Thailand.

JP Saturday Nov. 9

Pastika says Amrozi admits to helping build main bomb, admits to being field coordinator for bombing.

JP Sunday Nov. 10

Police claim Amrozi bought sulfur, ammonium, fluorine and chlorate from Tidar Kimina chemical store in Surabaya.

JP Monday Nov. 11

Police claim to have produced an initial reconstruction of planning and execution of bombing, also that Amrozi purchased over one ton of chemicals to produce bombs from Silvester Tendean. Former Bakin official AC Manullang expresses doubts about Amrozi's part in pro team responsible for bombing. Aritonang says Amrozi prime suspect in bombing.

JP Tuesday Nov. 12

Pastika says 10 Indonesians suspected of bombing.

Amrozi states he wanted to kill Americans in bombing. Bachtiar says Amrozi held four meetings in Surakarta to plan bombings. Anti-terrorism officer and chemical expert express doubt over police claims they have identified bombers. Kopassus NCO says bombing would take a year of practice to execute. Chemical expert rules out conventional explosives, say they are incapable of causing level of destruction at Kuta.

JP Wednesday Nov. 13

Amrozi says he did not assemble bomb. Pastika says bomb consisted of 100 kilos TNT, PETN detonator and RDX "booster".

JP Thursday Nov. 14

Amrozi fingers Samudra as one of the masterminds of the bombing, says he drove van to Bali but denies assembling bomb.

JP Saturday Nov. 16

JI named as prime suspect in blast.

JP Monday Nov. 18

Joint investigation team identifies 6 more suspects: Patek, Samdura, Imron, Wayan, Dulmatin, Idris with Samdura, Dulmatin and Idris as bomb assemblers. Samdura leader of group, Idris second in command, Dulmatin as detonator with his cell phone, electronics expert. Amrozi refuses to identify driver of van.

JP Tuesday Nov. 19

Pastika says investigators have not yet focused on source of explosives, too early to move on that and only arrest of perpetrators would lead them to device. Police say they found RDX and TNT trace at blast site. TNI denies ever storing RDX or C-4. PT Dahana confirms importing RDX for limited parties and military.

JP Wednesday Nov. 20

Da'I Bachtiar says there are other "materials" Amrozi did not procure in Surabaya and "has no capacity to make bombs".

AFP says they have not found RDX residue at site, only chlorate and TNT.

Pastika will not confirm or deny foreign involvement.

JP Thursday Nov. 21

Hermawan Sulistyo says amount of explosives required do not match van story.

Police confirm chemicals purchased by Amrozi were not main bomb materials.

Pastika says main bomb materials TNT and RDX.

JP Friday Nov. 22

Three "mystery" men appear in Amrozi interrogation transcript, Amrozi appears to be in dark about Sari and Paddy club bombings until he sees it on TV.

Pastika claims he has not read interrogation report, now claims that only seven suspects have been identified.

JP Saturday Nov. 23

Bachtiar says that Amrozi himself provided the vehicle and materials for the bombs.

JP Sunday Nov. 24

Bachtiar says bombings carried out by three groups under leadership of Hambali.

JP Monday Nov. 25

Police claim that the device used at Paddy's was detonated 118 centimeters above the ground.

Time Magazine claims Yemeni terrorist mastermind of Bali Bombing.

JP Tuesday Nov. 26

Police detain "accomplices" in bombing.

Police reveal Samudra was in process of getting fake passport to travel to Malaysia.

JP Wednesday Nov. 27

Legal experts say Amrozi and Samudra confessions inadmissible under KUHP.

JP Thursday Nov. 28

Bali bombing victims call for death of perpetrators.

JP Friday Nov. 29

Aritonang says Samudra interrogation transcripts on Bali bombing not included in his case file because a lawyer did not accompany suspect.

JP Saturday Nov. 30

Police now say JI "operating in Indonesia".

Samudra claims he masterminded Batam bombings.

JP Sunday Dec. 1

Lawyers for Samudra say he is not linked to Ba'asyir or Mukhlas.

JP Monday Dec. 2

Political analyst Hermawan Sulistyo hints that media reports, including those from Time, which relied on "intelligence sources", may be false.

JP Tuesday Dec. 3

Police release names of 163 Bali bombing victims.

JP Wednesday Dec. 4

Bali investigating team "not sure" when investigation into the approximately 200 missing in the bombings will begin.

JP Thursday Dec. 5

Police say they have captured alleged JI operations chief Mukhlas.

Bomb blasts rock McDonald's and car dealership in Sulawesi, killing three.

JP Monday Dec. 9

Pastika says at least "90 percent" of the Bali bombing plot had been uncovered.

JP Tuesday Dec. 10

Pastika says dossiers on Bali bombing suspects had to be "perfect", but have yet to assign responsibility for the three blasts to suspects or determine explosives used.

Sulawesi Police Chief Gen. Firman Gani says they have linked Sulawesi bombers with Bali bombings.

JP Wednesday Dec. 11

Samudra lawyer expresses doubt on client's ability to assemble explosives, alleges that Samudra and other suspects had been manipulated by a "third party" to discredit Islam in Indonesia, suggests two devices were used in bombings: one conventional and one "high tech device of great power". Lawyer also says eyewitness saw something fall from sky before explosion.

JP Thursday Dec. 12

Joint investigative team says Makassar, Bali bombings closely linked.

JP Friday Dec. 13

Aritonang says he has strong case in Bali bombings. Says he does not have specialized knowledge to discuss explosives used in detail.

JP Saturday Dec. 14

Samudra denies knowing Mukhlas, Gufron, denies receiving funds from them. Wanted to kill Israeli spies, Americans. Says he did not assemble bombs or know where they were assembled.

Bachtiar questions whether Amrozi and Samudra acted alone in all bombings.