San Jose man charged in Bali nightclub bombing

By Jason Bennert

August 3, 2007

Federal prosecutors today announced the arrest of a San Jose man on charges that during the past year he has provided his brother, designated as one of the leaders of the terrorist group responsible for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, with money, radios and other equipment.

Rahmat Abdhir, 43, also known as "Sean Kasem'' or "Sean Kalimin,'' was arrested Thursday at his Sunnyvale workplace on multiple felony charges.

He allegedly sent approximately 30 two-way radios, ammunition magazines for a Colt .45 and other equipment as well as more than $10,000 in cash to his brother Zulkifi Abdhir between June 2006 and June 2007.

Zulkifi Abdhir, 41, was named a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist'' in September 2003 by the U.S. government. According to federal authorities, he is part of the central command of Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional affiliate of al-Qaida and the terrorist group linked the Bali nightclub bombing that killed more than 200 people and other terrorist acts in the Philippines and Indonesia.

There is a $5 million reward offered for information leading to his arrest.

"With yesterday's arrest and indictment, we have closed off a channel by which an American citizen was allegedly funding and supplying a fugitive designated terrorist with two-way radios and other materials for his operations overseas," Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth Wainstein said in a prepared statement. "As this case demonstrates, we will bring the full force of the law against anyone who uses the resources of our economy to support overseas terrorism.''

Rahmat Abdhir, in addition to supplying money and equipment, passed on news reports and other information about the conflict in the Philippines between his brother's group and the Philippine military, according to the indictment.

If convicted of all charges Rahmat Abdhir could face more than 20 years in prison. He is next scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Jose at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

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