Bali bomber warns: Australia is next
By Cindy Wockner
ONE of the key Bali Bombers has issued a chilling warning from his death row prison cell, warning Australia "will be down next year".
Imam Samudra and two of his cohorts on death row for their role in the 2002 bombings were yesterday defiant, unapologetic and welcoming of their forthcoming executions as they were visited in their island jail by some of their family members.
Samudra, the so-called field commander of the Bali bombers, took the opportunity to hold a "press conference" to correct what he said was misinformation.He had never said he was sorry about the bombing, he was only sorry that Muslims died, he said.
"I regret that there are Muslim people (who died) and Allah akbar if there are kaffir people (unbelievers) who died," he said.
As the 2½ hour visit ended, Samudra beckoned The Daily Telegraph over and issued his warning:
"Australia will be down, next year Australia will be down."
Mukhlas, aka Ali Ghufron, gave a copy of his final will and testament to his wife and six children during the family visit yesterday.
During the visit Amrozi, the so-called "smiling assassin", was smiling and laughing, kissing and cuddling his brother's young children and telling them that when he was executed as a martyr his family would be blessed.
"There will be a benefit if I die ... my children will get the blessing, my family will get the blessing and they will be happy," he said.
All three men, who played leading roles in the Kuta nightclub attacks that killed 200 people, including 88 Australians, say they welcome execution.
They have now lost their final appeal against the death penalty - a judicial review . But their lawyers say they are now working on another appeal.