Indonesia: Terror suspect went to meet bin Laden
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP & staff) — Indonesia says its most wanted terrorist suspect was in Pakistan to meet Osama bin Laden when he was arrested there early this year.
Umar Patek was arrested in January in Abbottabad, the garrison town where bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces this week.
Patek is suspected in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people. He is deputy commander of al-Qaida’s Southeast Asian affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah.
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Wednesday that Patek was in Pakistan with his Filipino wife to meet with bin Laden. Authorities have said they traveled to Pakistan using passports with false names.
Indonesian investigators are trying to bring Patek back to the country.
