JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The bombing last year of the J.W. Marriott hotel in Indonesia's capital was inspired by Osama bin Laden, a militant who was convicted in the attack said Thursday.
"I met with Osama bin Laden frequently in Afghanistan and heard him speak about waging war against America and its allies," said Mohammad Rais, giving testimony in the trial of alleged terrorist leader Abu Bakar Bashir.
"We saw the Marriott attack as a message from Osama bin Laden," he said.
Bashir has been charged with heading al-Qaida's alleged affiliate in Southeast Asia, the Jemaah Islamiyah group, and of inciting his followers to take part in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, and the Marriott attack that left 12 dead.
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But the witness, Yudi Lukito, failed to support prosecutors assertions that Bashir incited militants to attack Western targets in the 2000 speech or took part in any violence. It's the latest setback for the prosecution, whose five other witnesses this week have failed to link Bashir to any crimes.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-indonesia-militant-cleric,0,583487.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlinesThe productive witness has been in an Indonesian prison since May, at least.