Mass Murdering Islamist Cleric Freed by Indonesia
Charles Johnson
Tue Jun 13, 2006 at 9:32 pm PDT • Views: 229
For his part in the mass murder of 202 people in Bali, Abu Bakar Bashir served 26 months in prison. And today he walked out a free man: Indonesia releases militant Islamic cleric.
JAKARTA, Indonesia - A militant cleric alleged to be a top leader in an al-Qaida linked terror group was released from prison Wednesday to cries of “God is great” from cheering supporters.
Abu Bakar Bashir, 68, had served 26 months for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people and thrust Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, onto the front lines of the war on terror.
“I thank Allah that I am free today,” a smiling Bashir said after emerging from a scrum of about 150 supporters and journalists waiting outside the gates of Jakarta’s Cipinang prison. “I call on all Muslims to unite behind one goal, that is the implementation of Sharia law.”
Frank says: