Bali bomber feeling so "beautiful" on the eve of his execution

Former Islamic preacher, MukhlasJakarta, Jan 5: A former Islamic preacher in his late 40s, Mukhlas, has showed no remorse for helping to organise the 2002 Bali bombings, and has written from his Indonesian jail that he feels so "beautiful" on the eve of his execution.

Mukhlas posted a 10-page statement on the internet exhorting Muslims to show their support for him by turning out in mass numbers for his burial, and said that "no words can describe how good the feeling is" before execution.

An Islamic militant's website is carrying the statement, fuelling fears that the execution of the three bombers could ignite violence and arouse public sympathy for their cause in the world's biggest Muslim nation.

The controversial Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir warned last month of a "big disaster" in Indonesia if the executions were carried out.

He made the comments after visiting the bombers in jail. But the Jakarta security expert Sidney Jones says that while the executions are likely to generate anger and retaliation against Indonesian Government installations or personnel, "careful security arrangements should be able to prevent any incident".

Mukhlas, a father of six who is also known as Ali Gufron, titled his jail writings "The Right And Good Dreams".

"Please read my writing," he urged Muslims in the Internet statement, which he called his "last will and testament".

"I would not trade how I am feeling now with anything else in the world," he said.

Mukhlas claimed that Amrozi and the third bomber, Imam Samudra, are also writing books in their cells in a high-security jail on Nusakambangan Island, off Central Java.

Mukhlas has showed no remorse killing 202 people, including 88 Australians in Bali bombings. Many of the victims were Muslims. (ANI)