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'Al-Qaeda cleric' among ten detained
Times Online, (UK) ^ | August 11, 2005 | Daniel McGrory and Richard Ford

Posted on 08/11/2005 3:23:11 AM PDT by NickatNite2003

Britain's promised crackdown on the "preachers of hate" began this morning as ten foreign nationals were detained. Among them, Times Online has learned, is Abu Qatada, described as al-Qaeda’s spiritual ambassador in Europe.

Abu Qatada, whose is also known as Sheikh Omar Abu Omar, and the other nine foreign nationals are being held by four police forces, working with the Immigration Service. They are in a prison service facility while the Home Office prepares to deport them.

The Home Office has not confirmed that Abu Qatada is among the people detained this morning but Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, said the foreign nationals were being held and would be deported for "reasons of national security".

"In accordance with my powers to deport individuals whose presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good for reasons of national security, the immigration service has today detained ten foreign nationals who I believe pose a threat to national security," said Mr Clarke.

"They will be held in secure prison service accommodation and I shall not disclose their names," he said.

"Following months of diplomatic work we now have got reason to believe that we can get the necessary assurances from the countries to which we will return the deportees so that they will not be subject to torture or ill-treatment," Mr Clarke added.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abuqatada; alqaeda; arrests; british; captured; clerics; crackdown; deportation; gwot; hate; omarabuomar; preaching; raids
It's a two pager.
1 posted on 08/11/2005 3:23:12 AM PDT by NickatNite2003
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To: Dog; ravingnutter; Straight Vermonter

Al Qaida Cleric detained ping!


2 posted on 08/11/2005 3:39:50 AM PDT by Wiz
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To: NickatNite2003

This guy is a terrorist that the Brits have sheltered for years. The only reason he was on the streets is because the government decided not only to deny his extradition to Jordan but also to let him out of jail to continue his terrorist activities.

The more I read about the Brits protecting these guys the more amazed I am.


3 posted on 08/11/2005 3:48:11 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter (John 6: 51-58)
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To: NickatNite2003
The UK has done this to itself by becoming a host country for terrorists. Indeed, of terrorists convicted of crimes in their own countries (Qatada has been sentenced to life in Jordan for terrorism).

Amnesty International's stance on this guy is a little bit more than pathetic.

More from the story:

He also is suspected of inspiring Mohammed Atta, the leader of the September 11 hijackers and the shoe bomber, Richard Reid. His name is included on an American list of "designated global terrorist individuals".

[snip]

Abu Qatada has been sentenced to life imprisonment in his absence by Jordan in 1998 for his involvement in a series of bomb plots. He has always denied having any links with terrorism.

Human rights groups immediately condemned Britain signing a memorandum of understanding with Jordan which they claim has a record of torturing terror suspects. Amnesty International said "This deal is not worth the paper it is written on".

Nicola Duckworth, Amnesty's Europe and Central Asia Director, said "These assurances rely on the good faith of states that are known to torture their subjects, a practice which few states admit to. How does Charles Clarke propose to monitor whether these promises are being honoured?"

Amnesty also claims that other countries expected to sign a similar deal with the UK, including Yemen, Algeria and Syria, also have deplorable records on human rights.

[snip]

His prayer meetings were attended by Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th hijacker. He is also alleged to have encouraged young British Muslims to attend terrorist training camps abroad.

4 posted on 08/11/2005 3:57:50 AM PDT by angkor
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To: Straight Vermonter
The more I read about the Brits protecting these guys the more amazed I am.

Agreed. It's absolutely astonishing that this guy was allowed into the UK, allowed to "preach" his vile and murderous sedition, allowed to plot and connive against Britain's allies, and allowed to take refuge against a standing conviction for terrorism.

We can be certain that the UK (and France) host many more of his ilk.

5 posted on 08/11/2005 4:01:25 AM PDT by angkor
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To: Straight Vermonter
The more I read about the Brits protecting these guys the more amazed I am.

The stupidity is unbelievable. Not only do they NOT execute these vermin, they seek assurance that the receiving country not torture and/or imprison them. Even though the Brits are seemingly removing the vermin from their soil, they are still obsessed with making the world safe for islamofascists.

6 posted on 08/11/2005 7:01:06 AM PDT by kimosabe31
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