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Alleged Singapore terror chief admits targeting US Navy ships
Jakarta, June 11: The alleged Singaporean head of the al-Qaida linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah admitted today that the organization had planned to blow up a US Naval facility in the city-state.
Jakarta, June 11: The alleged Singaporean head of the al-Qaida linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah admitted today that the organization had planned to blow up a US Naval facility in the city-state.
Mas Selamat Kastari, a Singaporean citizen who was arrested in Indonesia in February, made the admission while giving testimony at the treason trial of the alleged spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Bakar Bashir.
"When I was in Singapore, there was a plan to destroy the US base in Singapore," he said. "The idea to destroy the base came from Hambali. We just made plans but never implemented them," he said, referring to Jemaah Islamiyah's fugitive operations commander.
Jemaah Islamiyah, or JI, is blamed for the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists. It was the worst terror attack since Sept 11, 2001.
Kastari did not say when the plan was hatched, but Singapore officials said JI operatives targeted us ships in the city-state in 2001 as well as other Western targets.
Singapore has arrested around 30 alleged JI members since 2001, but none have been brought to trial or been interviewed by reporters.
Singapore's Changi Naval base frequently hosts US warships passing through to the Persian Gulf. The country is a close ally of the United States and a key regional supporter of its "war on terror."
He is currently on trial for immigration offenses in Riau province. He will likely be deported to Singapore after his trial finishes.
Bureau Report
"When I was in Singapore, there was a plan to destroy the US base in Singapore," he said. "The idea to destroy the base came from Hambali. We just made plans but never implemented them," he said, referring to Jemaah Islamiyah's fugitive operations commander.
Jemaah Islamiyah, or JI, is blamed for the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists. It was the worst terror attack since Sept 11, 2001.
Kastari did not say when the plan was hatched, but Singapore officials said JI operatives targeted us ships in the city-state in 2001 as well as other Western targets.
Singapore has arrested around 30 alleged JI members since 2001, but none have been brought to trial or been interviewed by reporters.
Singapore's Changi Naval base frequently hosts US warships passing through to the Persian Gulf. The country is a close ally of the United States and a key regional supporter of its "war on terror."
He is currently on trial for immigration offenses in Riau province. He will likely be deported to Singapore after his trial finishes.
Bureau Report