Al Jazeera's Interview With Bali Bomber Posted Online, After Being "Censored" By The Station

By: CBS News Investigates
Topics: South Asia

(CBS)

An interview with one of the three Indonesian militants on death row for the 2002 Bali bombings was posted on militant Islamist Internet forums Wednesday because it was"censored" by the Arab news station al Jazeera, said the accompanying introductory message. Ali Ghufran, also known as Abu Osama the Indonesian, was seen making his statement in front of a microphone bearing al Jazeera's logo.

Ghufran addressed his nine-minute statement to the "mujaheddin leaders," including al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the Islamic State of Iraq's leader Abu Omar al Baghdadi as well as "the leaders of jihad in America and Europe." He urged them to fight "American infidels and their allies" and called on militant Islamist groups to unite under the leadership of bin Laden.

The nine-minute interview is entitled "To the Mujaheddin Leaders"

Al-Tawbah forum (Indonesian Jihadi Forum), in cooperation with al-Ekhlaas network, released today a 9:11 video statement entitled: "To the Mujahideen Leaders," by Ali Ghufran, one of three Islamic militants on death row for the 2002 Bali bombings.
"Eevery group of mujahideen, currently fighting against the apostates of America and their criminal allies, should join the ranks of al Qaeda organization, under the leadership of the Sheikh and tutor, Abu Abdullah, Osama bin Laden," stated Ghufran.

There was no indication of the date of the statement. Al Jazeera mentioned interviewing the Bali bombers in January 2008, but never aired their statements.