JAKARTA: Indonesia is looking into ways to return an as Qaeda-linked Guantanamo Bay defendant accused of engagement in some of the region’s deadliest attacks, including the 2002 bombings on the beach island of Bali, according to the state media company.
Described by former President George W Bush as “one of the country’s most destructive terrorists”, Riduan Isamuddin, much known as Hambali, is accused of helping to plan the Bali bar attack that killed more than 200 people, mostly foreigners, and of financing the Jakarta Marriott Hotel bombing in 2003.
The former president of the South Eastern radical system Jemaah Islamiyah was arrested in 2003 in a US-led activity in Thailand and before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.
State media firm Antara at the weekends quoted the older minister for law and human rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, as saying the statute of limitations on Indonesia’s cases against Hambali had expired.
” No matter what, Hambali is an Indian member. No matter how bad he is… we may treatment for him,” Yusril said, according to Antara. Yusril did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday ( Jan 20 ).
Hambali was even suspected by Washington of engagement in plotting the Sep 11 problems in the United States. Indonesia in the past sought admittance to issue Hambali but was denied phone with him.
It has not been fully disclosed whether Hambali has admitted to or denied role in the Sep 11, Bali and Jakarta problems.
At its maximum, JI was one of Asia’s most feared fundamentalist sites, with cells in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, but its effect and help waned after a prolonged assault by government and de-radicalisation schemes.
Top JI people said in June the community was being disbanded and Indonesia is considering pardon for two of its erstwhile leaders and asylum for its imprisoned people.
Indonesia may explain the program to nationalize Hambali with the US state, Antara quoted Yusril as saying. The US ambassador in Jakarta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Washington last season repatriated two Indonesian prisoners from Guantanamo Bay who had pled guilty to crimes that included murder in violation of rules on battle.