Aussie school "a target"

"An Indonesian accused of the bombing of Jakarta's Marriott hotel has told police the Australian International School and two other sites had been surveyed before the terrorists chose their target." So says The Australian, with thanks to nicolei.

"Forced to reconstruct the plan of the August 5 suicide bomb attack yesterday, Thohir explained that the five-star hotel was chosen over the school, the Citibank Landmark building and the western supermarket Kemchicks because it was frequented by Americans and owned by Americans.

"Thohir and his co-accused Ismael showed how the explosives were mixed and packed into a vehicle under the supervision of Azahari bin Husin, a leading Jemaah Islamiah terrorist and now one of the most wanted men in Indonesia.

"'I just feel guilty because there are some Muslim victims,' Ismael said of the blast that killed 11 Indonesians and a Dutch banker. 'Our purpose was to get Americans, because they oppress Muslims.'" Asked whether the bombing was a suicide attack, Ismael nodded.

Posted by Robert at December 10, 2003 8:46 AM
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