Man accused of masterminding Bali bombings goes on trial

AN Afghanistan-trained militant who prosecutors say wanted to wage war on the United States went on trial yesterday on charges of masterminding last year’s Bali nightclub bombings.

Imam Samudra, 32, is accused of planning and carrying out the October 12 attacks, that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. He is suspected of being a key figure in the al-Qaida-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for the bombings.

If found guilty, Samudra could be sentenced to death under anti-terror laws passed in the weeks after the bombings.

As Samudra sat down to hear the indictment, he looked over to his nine lawyers and shouted "Takbir!" or "Proclaim!" - a religious rallying cry. They responded with calls of "God is Great!" and cheers.

After the outburst, Samudra, who was dressed in a white loose fitting shirt and wearing an Islamic prayer cap, sat impassively occasionally stroking his goatee.

Samudra's defence team demanded judges throw out the case, arguing that their client should not be tried under laws put in place after the crime.

Several relatives of Australian victims of the attack sat in the front row of the court to witness the proceedings, but few Balinese attended the trial.

"He is the one we really wanted them to catch," said Randall Lee, who lost his two brothers and a pregnant sister-in-law in the attack. "He should be taken away, shot in the back of the head and buried in a ditch."

Samudra's lawyers and police say he confessed to playing a role in the attacks, like many of the other 33 suspects arrested over the bombings.

Samudra has told reporters he targeted the nightclubs in Bali because he was aiming to kill as many Americans as possible. Almost half the victims of the blast were Australian tourists.

Samudra is the second suspect to go on trial.