Washington, DC –Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement in response to the arrest of Abu Bakar Bashir, alleged lead role in a terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda:
“I applaud the work of the Indonesian police, prosecutors, and intelligence agencies for arresting Abu Bakar Bashir. Bashir is believed to lead the notorious terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, an affiliate of Al Qaeda which is responsible for such atrocities as the killing of over 200 innocent people in the Bali bombings of 2002. He has been convicted of offenses ranging from conspiracy to treason, but has never served time commensurate with his crimes. The people of Indonesia and the United States are safer with Bashir behind bars.”
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