BALI I BOMBER CONVINCED DEATH SENTENCES NOT TO BE CARRIED OUT

Cilacap, Oct 1 (ANTARA) - Imam Samudra, one of the convicted Bali I bombers, said he was convinced he and his two associates - Amrozi and Nuhlas -- would never be executed.

He made the remark to newsmen after performing Idul Fitri prayers at the Batu correctional institute in Nusakambangan, Central Java, on Wednesday morning.

Samudra even said the Attorney General's Office (AGO) was too afraid to order their execution by firing squad.

He said he was not thinking too much about the execution plan because, he said, the problem of death was Allah's responsibility and therefore he was ready to be executed any time.

But if the execution was carried out, there would certainly be a retaliation, he said.

"If anybody kills us, God willing, there will be retaliation," Samudra said without making an assurance where he would spend eternity after death.

He said he was not prepared to be executed by firing squad as was done in 'infidel' countries.

"We will never be willing to be executed in the way as in the Netherlands," he said.

In letters to his relatives, Samudra asked them to be patient because , he said, his death sentence would never be carried out.

"The message is that they remain patient because there will be no execution," he said.

Commenting on Bali bombing-I which claimed 202 lives, mostly Australian tourists, on October 12, 2002, Imam Samudra admitted that he was not remorseful of his act but was proud of what he had done.

However, he offered his apologies to the Muslims who fell victims in the incident.

"I will never offer my apology to infidel victims, but to Muslim victims only," he said, adding that Australia was their prime enemy so they did not want to apologize the Australian victims.

Samudra said he and his two friends would offer their apologies if Australia and its allies ended their war against Mujahidin and Taliban.