Indonesia's handling of the executions of three militants for the 2002 Bali bombings caused unnecessary suffering for victims of the blasts and helped fan domestic passions, Indonesian media said on Monday. The three men from the militant group Jemaah Islamiah – Imam Samudra, Mukhlas, and Amrozi – were executed by firing squad on Sunday for the 2002 nightclub attacks that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. Just days ahead of the executions, the bombers gave interviews to several television channels, often sounding defiant and calling for more attacks. "The three terrorists most responsible for the carnage in Bali in Oct. 2002 have finally been executed after months of uncertainty that turned the waiting into a public spectacle that only upset and infuriated relatives of the victims and prolonged their pain," the Jakarta Post said. "The media, particularly television, seemed to be a willing partner throughout this whole spectacle, especially during the last four weeks while the authorities hesitated in carrying out the execution order," the paper said. It quoted political expert Fachry Ali as saying repeated delays in executing the three men had led to "wide media exposure that played up these men's toughness and persistence". The media had speculated that the executions were about to be carried out several times in recent weeks. A spokesman for the Attorney General's office said on Saturday that the timing of executions was up to officials on the ground. Some analysts had warned of a hard-line backlash but the funerals went off relatively peacefully, despite some scuffles with police and reporters. Police were questioning two men detained over alleged bomb threats made ahead of the executions, national police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said.
