The Jakarta Post, 10/1/2002 7:43:02 PM
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir sues Time magazine
JAKARTA (Agencies): Chairman of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the National Police against Time
magazine for its story accusing him of involvement in the alleged international terrorist
network, al-Qaeda.
Abu Bakar and his team of Muslim lawyers, led by Mahendradatta, went to the police
headquarters to file the suit.
Mahendradatta said the story carried by Time in its September 23 issue was
slanderous, as U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce had himself clarified the
situation.
He said he would invite Boyce and secretary of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)
Din Syamsuddin to testify when the case went to trial. "Pak (Mr.) Din heard the
clarification himself," he added.
The lawyer said Time had also accused Ba'asyir of having had frequent meetings with
Omar al-Faruq, whom the US government has accused of involvement in terrorist
activities in the West Java town of Bogor. "The fact is Ba'asyir does not know
al-Faruq," he said, as quoted by Antara.
Time reported that Ba'asyir was behind the bombing of a Jakarta mosque and was
linked to a recent plan to bomb U.S. embassies in Jakarta and elsewhere in the
region.
The magazine said it had based its article on a CIA report that recounted statements
by Omar al-Faruq, who has allegedly confessed to being the senior representative in
Southeast Asia for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, blamed for the September
11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.
"It's all lies," Ba'asyir said, as quoted by AFP, when he arrived at the detectives
division at the National Police Headquarters. "The report has ruined the good
reputation of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir," Mahendradatta added.
After submitting the complaint, Mahendratta told reporters that Time should have
confirmed its report with Ba'asyir before publishing it.
"What really hurts Abu Bakar is that (in Time's report) he was portrayed as the
mastermind of the Istiqlal mosque bombing," the lawyer said.
He said the criminal complaint cited Time managing editor James Kelly and all
Indonesian and foreign-based reporters named as contributors to the article.
Abu Bakar would file a separate civil lawsuit against the magazine next week, the
lawyer said. Another lawyer, Achmad Michdan, said the complaint was filed on behalf
of Abu Bakar as an individual rather than in his capacity as head of the Indonesian
Mujahidin Council.
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