Sydney, Sept 09: The alleged mastermind of last year's terrorist attacks on the Indonesian island of Bali today said he would welcome a death sentence by firing squad and the chance to become an Islamic martyr. Imam Samudra will face court tomorrow to hear whether he has been found innocent or guilty of planning, financing and carrying out the October 12 attacks at two Bali nightclubs, which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. On the eve of his court appearance, Samudra, 33, told Australia's Nine Network Television that he welcomed the prospect of execution. But he called on Indonesian authorities to show leniency to others accused in the terror attack - the worst since those in the United States on September 11, 2001.
"Me be the only one who gets the death penalty," he said.

"Let me be the one to die as a martyr and release the others, I'm glad with that."

Samudra predicted the destruction of Australia and the United States within 10 years, as well as continuing conflict between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia - the world's most populous Islamic nation. "There will be war," he said. "War is the solution, it will happen as it says in the Quran and the bible."
The Bali blast has been blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaeda-linked Southeast Asia militant group. It is also accused in other bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines as well as foiled plots to strike at the US Embassy and other western targets in Singapore.

Bureau Report