Cleric denies bomb attacks

THE spiritual leader of a group with suspected links to al-Qaida yesterday denied that he ordered deadly bomb attacks against dozens of churches on Christmas Eve 2000 and called the charges “lies from America”.

Dressed in flowing white robes, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir smiled as he strode into a tightly guarded Jakarta building for the first day of his treason trial in a case that has highlighted Indonesia's commitment to fighting Islamic extremism.

Hundreds of his supporters inside the makeshift courtroom lifted their hands in unison and shouted "Allahu akbar" "God is great."