A militant Islamic cleric on trial in Indonesia on terrorist charges including over the Bali bombings warned President George W. Bush's reelection victory spelled "disaster" for the United States.

Abu Bakar Bashir, who is accused of being a figurehead for the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah regional group accused Bush of meddling in Indonesian affairs and warned of retribution unless he stopped.

"Bush's victory will bring another disaster for America unless he changes his actions," Bashir told reporters as he arrived for a second day of his trial in which he faces a possible death penalty if convicted. "America is intervening on many issues in Indonesia, they are the master in this country," he said.

Bashir denies charges of inciting militants to carry out the October 2002 Bali attacks in which 202 people killed and of involvement in the bombing of the US-franchised Marriott hotel in Jakarta last year in which 12 died.

Last year he was cleared of leading Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for a series of deadly attacks in Indonesia, but was rearrested in April 2004 by police who said they had fresh evidence against him.

The 66-year-old firebrand cleric is a harsh critic of Washington, and regularly delivers tirades accusing the US and Australian governments of conspiring to place him behind bars.

He said Bush feared the introduction of hardline Islamic sharia law in the world's largest Muslim-populated country, which currently practises a moderate strain of the faith.

Although he made no specific threats, Bashir said he anticipated major problems for the United States during Bush's next term. "God willing, there will be a lot of disasters," he said.