Radical Indonesian Cleric Arrested in Terror Plot


A radical Islamic cleric was back in jail Monday after police said they had evidence he not only inspired al-Qaida linked militants with his fiery sermons but helped set up a new terror cell that was plotting attacks on hotels and embassies in Indonesia's capital.

They said they found a bomb-making laboratory and evidence of at least two powerful test blasts in a nearby mountain range. Abu Bakar Bashir, who has been arrested twice before and spent several years in jail, was heading home after preaching in the West Java town of Ciamis when the anti-terror unit swooped,
breaking the rear window of his van after his bodyguards tried to obstruct them, officials and family members said.The white-bearded cleric, wearing his traditional skull cap and flowing white gown, was escorted under tight security to police headquarters in Jakarta.