Committing murder and mayhem and believing it to be his religious duty to do so. This religious duty is the key to understanding his goals and motives, and it is the one thing that our government and law enforcement authorities have decided is beyond the bounds of legitimate investigation. “Indonesian Said ‘God Is Great’ as Hotels Attacked,” from Reuters, February 10:
JAKARTA (Reuters) – An Indonesian suspect went on trial on Wednesday charged in connection with bomb attacks on two luxury hotels in Jakarta and a plan to assassinate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Amir Abdillah, 34, is the first to appear of a group of defendants believed to have taken orders from Noordin Mohammad Top, the head of a violent wing of militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah, which police said was behind the attacks.
State prosecutor Totok Bambang told South Jakarta Court Abdillah helped other group members to launch suicide bomb attacks at the Ritz Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels in July 2009, in which 11 people were killed, including the suicide bombers, and 53 wounded.
“The defendant was involved and was aware of the plan and the implementation of the terror acts… The defendant also knew there would be another bombing targeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,” another prosecutor, Kiki Ahmad Yani, told the court.
Prosecutors said Abdillah was nearby on the morning of the hotel attacks, and, according to his statements to police, said “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” before and after the bombs exploded….