WA: Crean "won't argue" against Amrozi death penalty

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WA: Crean "won't argue" against Amrozi death penalty

By Tim Clarke

PERTH, Aug 7 AAP - Opposition Leader Simon Crean said today he would not argue againstthe death penalty for accused Bali bomber Amrozi if it was imposed by an Indonesian courtlater today.

As judges this afternoon continued to read out their 223-page judgment on Amrozi'smultiple charges of planning and carrying out the October 12, 2002 attack, Labor leaderMr Crean said Australia should accept any sentence dispensed.

"I don't support capital punishment, but the truth of it is, this crime was perpetratedin Indonesia and the perpetrators of the crime have to be tried in accordance with Indonesianlaw," Mr Crean said.

"If the death penalty is imposed, I won't be arguing it shouldn't be applied."

A panel of five judges began court proceedings at about 9.10am local time (11:10 AEDT),about 40 minutes after Amrozi arrived at the court in an armoured car.

The 41-year-old, sitting in the heavily guarded court in Denpasar, was to hear thepenalty for his part in the bombings on the Kuta Beach nightclub strip, which killed 202people, including 88 Australians.

He is accused of attending several planning sessions ahead of the Bali attacks, andof buying one tonne of potassium chloride and other chemicals as well as the van usedto carry the largest bomb.

Mr Crean said he was planning to attend the memorial service to be held for the victimsof the Bali bombings on the one year anniversary of the blasts on October 12.

And he reiterated his call for more cooperation between all the countries in the regionto end terrorism, and said that would be a fitting tribute for the victims of Bali andJakarta.

"All our efforts, in memory of them, should go into ensuring that others do not sufferthe same way as those injured in Bali and Jakarta have," he told reporters in Perth.

"Australians are at risk because terrorism is happening, you don't need rocket scienceto come to that conclusion.

"The question is how we deal with it, and the most effective way to tackle terrorismis to do it together. No one country can withstand these threats alone, because terrorismrecognises no boundary."

AAP tc/ldj/br

KEYWORD: BALI TRIAL CREAN