US anger over early release of ‘terrorist’ cleric

INDONESIAN cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, due to be released from prison next month, had “intense and deep” involvement planning and executing terror attacks, US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said yesterday.

Mr Ridge said he was disappointed with the Indonesian Supreme Court’s decision yesterday to halve Bashir’s three-year prison sentence on unrelated immigration charges. Bashir is due to be released on April 4 after spending 18 months in jail.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Mr Ridge said he hoped Bashir could “be brought to justice in a different way”. He did not elaborate.