Fed: News Bashir will be charged welcomed by Bali victims

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2004
Fed: News Bashir will be charged welcomed by Bali victims

SYDNEY, April 30 AAP - Victims of the Bali bombings today welcomed news that militant
Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir would be charged over the deadly nightclub blasts.

Indonesian police today rearrested Bashir after a morning of running street battles
with his supporters outside Salemba Jail where the suspected Jemaah Islamiah (JI) spiritual
leader was being held.

He was taken to police headquarters in Jakarta and Ansyaad Mbai, who heads Indonesia's
anti-terrorism desk at the security ministry, said Bashir would be charged "in relation
to the Bali bombings and other terror bombings" in the country.

The Bali attacks killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

Alan Lindsay, whose son Aaron was on a surfing trip in Bali with seven mates when he
was killed in the attacks, said he was glad the authorities had nabbed Bashir.

"We're glad because ... I think everyone realised that he was a part of it," Mr Lindsay
said from Perth.

"We're pretty happy."

Mr Lindsay travelled to Bali for the trials of Amrozi and others convicted over the attacks.

He said that if convicted, Bashir should face the death penalty.

"I think he should do the same as the other ones, Amrozi and the whole lot ... so he
should get the death penalty," Mr Lindsay said.

"We went over there for the trials and saw the process was working so we're pretty
happy with that."

Coogee Dolphins rugby league club president Albert Talarico said the players were happy
to let justice take its course.

Six members of the club were killed in the blasts.

"We just think whatever happens over there (in Indonesia) is that they're doing the
right thing and that's all that matters," Mr Talarico said.

"We just want to let nature take its course."

He said the club had recovered well since the Bali bombings.

"The Dolphins are doing remarkably well considering what has happened over the past
couple of years."

Brian Deegan, whose son Josh was killed, was more guarded in his reaction to news that
Bashir would face new charges.

"It's going to raise people's hopes that they are not only continuing but successfully
continuing in the investigations," he said from Adelaide.

"But if he's then acquitted it has the opposite effect on victims, so I'm very guarded
about the whole procedure."

Mr Deegan described the development as bittersweet.

AAP sal/tma/tnf i

KEYWORD: INDON BASHIR REACTION

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