Court Told Bashir Wanted an Attack During Obama's Indonesia Visit

Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir apparently urged his followers earlier this year to stage a terror attack while US President Barack Obama was on Indonesian soil, a Jakarta court was told on Tuesday, just hours before Obama’s arrival here. 

The apparent threat was revealed during the opening session of Dr. Syarif Usman’s trial on charges related to financing an alleged terrorist training camp uncovered earlier this year in Aceh. 

Prosecutors say Syarif is close to Bashir, who is in jail on charges related to the Aceh camp.

Prosecutors told the South Jakarta District Court that Bashir told another suspect, Luthfi Haidaro, aka Ubaid, “to take advantage of the visit by US President Barack Obama to Indonesia.” 

“But there was no further discussion on how to move forward,” prosecutor Kiki Ahmad Yani said. 

Bashir’s alleged instruction to Ubaid was given in a meeting in January, two months before Obama’s first scheduled visit in March.

That trip was cancelled.

 In February, police began dismantling the Aceh camp, believed to have been training militants to launch attacks similar to the one in Mumbai, India, in 2008. 

In an exclusive interview with the Jakarta Globe before Obama’s planned March visit, Bashir urged Indonesians to protest. “America is a great infidel because it is fighting Islam,” he said at the time. 

The United States and Indonesia have long cooperated to fight terrorism, and US defense officials have lauded Indonesia’s ability to pursue extremists.

The US has provided money for helicopters, radar systems and small boats to help build an interdiction force.

US officials have said that the presence of the Aceh camp was a dangerous sign that militant are trying to refine their tactics, perhaps with Al Qaeda backing. 

Earlier proposed visits to the region by Obama triggered threats of a terrorist attack.

US officials said they believe the threats were for an attack on Western interests, but were not necessarily aimed directly at the president.

Tuesday’s trial focused on charges that Syarif gave Rp 200 million ($22,400) to Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, a hard-line group founded by Bashir that security officials link to the Aceh camp.

“The money was intended to buy weapons for paramilitary training,” a prosecutor told the court. 

“The goals of the paramilitary training in Aceh were to uphold Islamic Law and terrorize foreigners, international non-governmental organizations and other foreign interests in Aceh,” according to the indictment.