- JAKARTA: A retired Saudi Arabian schoolteacher went on trial Wednesday charged with financing suicide bombings at two Jakarta hotels that killed seven and wounded more than 50.
Al Khelaiw Ali Abdullah, 55, denied any involvement in the July 17, 2009, attacks on the downtown J.W. Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels.
"I'm not a terrorist. I'll fight it," Abdullah told reporters as he arrived at the South Jakarta District Court ahead of his trial by a panel of three judges.
Abdullah is charged with helping support terrorists by giving or lending money to perpetrators of a terrorist act. He faces a maximum 20 years in prison if convicted.



