October 28, 2002	Monday	Sha’aban 21,1423

SOLO-JAKARTA, Oct 27: An Indonesian Muslim cleric suspected of terror links proclaimed he was feeling better on Sunday, bringing him closer to police interrogation as world leaders urged Jakarta to crank up the fight against extremists.

Abu Bakar Bashir has had a steady flow of visitors to his hospital bed for more than a week, but police say the law does not permit them to interrogate the alleged leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network until he recovers.

That is testing the patience of some Western and neighbouring countries who want President Megawati Sukarnoputri to move more decisively against Bashir in the wake of the bloody Bali bombs.

On Sunday, it was the turn of journalists to follow a succession of politicians and Muslim leaders into Bashir’s hospital room.

“Praise to God, my health has almost recovered,” the 64-year-old preacher, now free of intravenous drips and oxygen masks, told reporters beside his hospital bed in Solo.

Speaking in a soft voice, the silver-bearded Bashir said he was still weak, but he managed a trademark tirade against the United States and said he would not cooperate with police if he concluded his detention was due to foreign pressure.—AFP