Indonesia's Face Of Evil

To look at him, you'd think he was everyone's favourite granddad...but this is the face of evil in Indonesia. He is radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir...long believed to be the spiritual inspiration behind extremists in that region.
Linked to the terror group Jemaah Islamiah (behind the 2002 Bali bombings), he was arrested this week for involvement with a new militant network, Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT).
Indonesian police say not only did Bashir appoint key members to run the JAT, but he also funded it. So this arrest is significant - if police can make charges stick. Three members of JAT were also arrested for fundraising, for a terror training camp set up by Bashir. Bomb-making gear was found, with a target list including Australia's embassy in Jakarta. Naturally Bashir's arrest has been hailed by Australia as a step in the right direction for Indonesia's anti-terror unit, under pressure to show results.
While it's fair to say that most Indonesians dis-associate themselves from Bashir's extremist form of Islam, there're concerns his arrest may spark a wave of sympathy among followers...but any attacks to secure Bashir's release will surely point to his guilt. And in such a volatile "Wild West" type of country where police are often hindered by a less-than-pure legal system, a "fight-fire-with-fire" enforcement attitude towards jihadists could easily be excused...or even condoned. I'm normally a strong proponent of 'law and order'... but for rabid dogs like Bashir and Bin Laden, I'm very happy to see legally-sanctioned exceptions.
Either way, this man's evil rhetoric must be shut down, before he incites more violence and sullies the image of innocent everyday Muslims (who coincidentally begin their holy month of Ramadan today - no doubt praying for long-overdue peace).
PS: 15 Feb.2011 - "I was only defending Islam" claims Bashir...but he does admit to running a terror camp!
PS: 16 June 2011 - Bashir gets 15 years' jail!!! Good bloody job too!!
PS: 22 June 2012 - Bali bomber gets 20 years.