3 Executed by Firing Squad for Bali Bombings

Chara G. Garmon
11/14/08
SOC 202
Global Crime

On October 12, 2002, in Bali, Indonesia, two major bomb attacks killed 202 people. One bomb was set to go off in a nightclub in an area near Kuta beach, a famous spot for Westerners and the other bomb was located in a truck at a nearby nightclub killing dozens of people trying to get out. The attacks were the work of three men in a regional terrorist network linked to Al Qaeda named Jemaah Islamiyah. The men in charge were Imam Samudra, Amrozi, and Mukhlas, also known as Ali Ghufron. These attacks were what led to the Indonesian government’s forceful approach against Islamic militants. The three men were convicted in 2003, but not killed until now because of uncertainty within the government if a political or terrorist plot would form. Over the years, the Jemaah Islamiyah has been weakened as the government began counterterrorism campaigns and captured or killed its top leaders. Earlier this week, reports from Jakarta, Indonesia, indicated that these three men were finally executed. The men were tied side by side on wooden posts and shot simultaneously in a field on a prison island off western Java. Security was increased at hotels, embassies and shopping centers. Foreigners were warned not to come to the area and in the hometowns of the bombers, the government is still afraid of retaliation. This is the first execution of Muslim extremists since new laws against terrorism were passed in 2003, stating that the death penalty shall be imposed for terrorist attacks.

I have to say that I admire what the Indonesian government did. They made sure the terrorist group was extremely weakened before executing these bombers. The government has the people’s best interest at heart and it is nice to see this. In the article it states that the operational chief, Mukhlas, wrote a letter saying he felt no remorse for the killings and feels that he did this for God. A major reason why this attack took place was because they believed it would “avenge the deaths of innocent Muslims at the hands of the West.” It’s sad that any of the things that took place had to, but I feel that what happened to these bombers and the measures taken by the government were justified.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/world/asia/09bali.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin