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Abu Qatada arrives in Jordan after eight-year deportation battle Abu Qatada arrives in Jordan after eight-year deportation battle
(about 2 hours later)
A radical UK cleric, once described as Osama bin Laden's righthand man in Europe, has landed in Jordan concluding a eight-year extradition battle. Jordanian military prosecutors in Amman have interviewed Abu Qatada on terrorism-related charges after the radical cleric was flown out of the UK in the early hours of Sunday morning following an eight-year extradition battle.
After stepping aboard a private jet plane on the tarmac of RAF Northolt in the early hours of Sunday morning, Abu Qatada arrived in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where he is expected to be taken to prison before being tried in connection with a terrorist bombing conspiracy. Abu Qatada arrived mid-morning by private chartered jet at the capital's civilian airport accompanied by four British police officers who handed him over to their Jordanian counterparts. They whisked the cleric – once described as Osama bin Laden's righthand man in Europe – in a 12-car convoy manned by masked anti-terrorism police to the nearby military state security court on the outskirts of the city.
A Jordanian military prosecutor said the 53-year old preacher had been charged with conspiring to carry out al-Qaida-linked attacks in Jordan. He was questioned in the presence of his lawyer, Tayseer Thiab, according to one of the prosecutors involved, who said he expected Abu Qatada to be detained for 15 days, pending further questioning. The charges date back to alleged offences in the 1990s.
Abu Qatada was expected to be held in the maximum security Muwaqqar prison in a military zone near the capital Amman. The recently built high security prison is reportedly comfortable, with a library, a music room, a centre for "social development" and craft rooms.
Abu Qatada's father, Mahmoud, and an unidentified relative stood at the entrance of the court building, but were not allowed to enter.
"I have nothing to say, except that my son is innocent and I hope the court will set him free," he told Associated Press.
Just after midnight on Sunday morning Abu Qatada had been taken under police escort from Belmarsh prison in south-east London, where he had spent the last four months after breaching a bail condition which restricted use of mobile phones and other communication devices.
Members of the Metropolitan police's extradition unit accompanied him in a blue armoured police van escorted by three squad cars on the 25-mile journey across the capital to the RAF base at Northholt where Abu Qatada, wearing grey robes and a white headscarf, boarded a charted jet waiting on the runway.
At 2.46am he took a last look at British soil from his window seat as the plane taxied towards the runway and rose into the sky towards the Middle East.
The home secretary, Theresa May, wasted no time in expressing her delight at his removal, issuing a statement almost as soon as the jet's wheels were up.
"I am glad that this government's determination to see him on a plane has been vindicated and that we have at last achieved what previous governments, parliament and the British public have long called for," she said. "This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country."
Abu Qatada's arrival in his native Jordan brought to an end a £1.7m legal fight that involved recourse to European courts and the drafting of a special treaty of mutual assistance between the British and Jordanian governments.Abu Qatada's arrival in his native Jordan brought to an end a £1.7m legal fight that involved recourse to European courts and the drafting of a special treaty of mutual assistance between the British and Jordanian governments.
David Cameron said he was absolutely delighted that Abu Qatada, 53, had finally been removed, saying the radical preacher's continued presence in the UK had made his "blood boil".David Cameron said he was absolutely delighted that Abu Qatada, 53, had finally been removed, saying the radical preacher's continued presence in the UK had made his "blood boil".
Pictures released by the Home Office show Qatada, whose real name is Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman, dressed in a grey robe being shown to the steps of a chartered jet by an official at RAF Northolt.
Speaking on Abu Qatada's departure, Cameron said: "This is something this government said it would get done and we have got it done, and it is an issue that like the rest of the country has made my blood boil that this man who has no right to be in our country, who is a threat to our country and that it took so long and was so difficult to deport him, but we have done it, he is back in Jordan, and that is excellent news."Speaking on Abu Qatada's departure, Cameron said: "This is something this government said it would get done and we have got it done, and it is an issue that like the rest of the country has made my blood boil that this man who has no right to be in our country, who is a threat to our country and that it took so long and was so difficult to deport him, but we have done it, he is back in Jordan, and that is excellent news."
Since 2005 Abu Qatada has spent many years incarcerated in Belmarsh prison or under home arrest despite not facing UK-based terror charges.Since 2005 Abu Qatada has spent many years incarcerated in Belmarsh prison or under home arrest despite not facing UK-based terror charges.
The legal battle to remove him has cost the UK £647,658 in legal aid for the terror suspect and more than £1m in government costs, the home secretary, Theresa May, disclosed in a letter to the all-party Commons home affairs committee last month.The legal battle to remove him has cost the UK £647,658 in legal aid for the terror suspect and more than £1m in government costs, the home secretary, Theresa May, disclosed in a letter to the all-party Commons home affairs committee last month.
Abu Qatada was far less of the outspoken public face of Islsmic radicalism than the hook-handed Abu Hamza or former al-Muhajiroun leader Omar Bakri. He almost never spoke in English even in private. However, due to his high theological standing within terrorist groups and a network of contacts that included links to the 9/11 hijackers, security services considered him to be the most dangerous Islamic radical in the UK.Abu Qatada was far less of the outspoken public face of Islsmic radicalism than the hook-handed Abu Hamza or former al-Muhajiroun leader Omar Bakri. He almost never spoke in English even in private. However, due to his high theological standing within terrorist groups and a network of contacts that included links to the 9/11 hijackers, security services considered him to be the most dangerous Islamic radical in the UK.
In a series of legal fights which restarted in 2005, Abu Qatada's lawyers were successful in arguing that evidence gleaned by the use of torture would deployed against him by Jordanian authorities should he be forcibly deported to the country where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999.In a series of legal fights which restarted in 2005, Abu Qatada's lawyers were successful in arguing that evidence gleaned by the use of torture would deployed against him by Jordanian authorities should he be forcibly deported to the country where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999.
The Home Office was eventually forced into drawing up a 24-page mutual legal assistance treaty between the UK and Jordan, containing a key passage that states where there are "serious and credible allegations that a statement from a person has been obtained by torture" they would not be used in a court.The Home Office was eventually forced into drawing up a 24-page mutual legal assistance treaty between the UK and Jordan, containing a key passage that states where there are "serious and credible allegations that a statement from a person has been obtained by torture" they would not be used in a court.
The agreement which finally secured Qatada's departure was announced by May earlier this year.The agreement which finally secured Qatada's departure was announced by May earlier this year.
Abu Qatada's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald QC, then unexpectedly told the special immigration appeals commission (Siac) that his client was prepared to leave if the treaty was enshrined in law.Abu Qatada's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald QC, then unexpectedly told the special immigration appeals commission (Siac) that his client was prepared to leave if the treaty was enshrined in law.
"There's never been a time in the last 12 years that Mr Othman and his family could safely return to Jordan," he said. "For a long period of time, he has made it clear that he wishes to leave lawfully.""There's never been a time in the last 12 years that Mr Othman and his family could safely return to Jordan," he said. "For a long period of time, he has made it clear that he wishes to leave lawfully."
In a statement on Sunday the May said that Abu Qatada's departure "marks the conclusion of efforts to remove him since 2001 and I believe this will be welcomed by the British public. The Jordanian information minister, Mohammed Momani, said on Sunday Jordan "is keen on credibility and transparency" in its handling of Abu Qatada.
"I am glad that this government's determination to see him on a plane has been vindicated and that we have at last achieved what previous governments, parliament and the British public have long called for. This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country. May said Abu Qatada's departure "marks the conclusion of efforts to remove him since 2001 and I believe this will be welcomed by the British public.
She told BBC Breakfast it was vital that the UK re-examined its relationship with the European court of human rights, which proved a regular stumbling block in deporting Abu Qatada. "I am glad that this government's determination to see him on a plane has been vindicated and that we have at last achieved what previous governments, parliament and the British public have long called for..
She said: "We have got to look at that relationship, and as far as I am concerned I think nothing should be off the table in terms of looking at how we work with and how we deal with the European court." Both the prime minister and May said the case would trigger a change in the UK's relationship with the European court of human rights which had upheld arguments against extradition advanced by the cleric which cited human rights laws.
The Jordanian information minister, Mohammed Momani, said Jordan "is keen on credibility and transparency" in its handling of Abu Qatada, "I am also clear that we need to make sense of our human rights laws and remove the many layers of appeals available to foreign nationals we want to deport," said May. "We are taking steps – including through the new immigration bill – to put this right." Asked about whether the UK should withdraw from the ECHR, Cameron said: "frankly when it comes to these cases I don't rule anything out in terms of getting this better for the future."
Keith Vaz, chairman of the House of Commons home affairs select committee, said it had taken Home Office lawyers too long to conceive of the scheme to sign a treaty with Jordan to allay fears that evidence extracted through torture would not be used against Abu Qatada. He said the delay cost the taxpayer £1.7m.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said Qatada's deportation was extremely welcome and meant he could stand fair trial in Jordan after legal delays that had been "deeply frustrating for all governments".Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said Qatada's deportation was extremely welcome and meant he could stand fair trial in Jordan after legal delays that had been "deeply frustrating for all governments".
"We must ensure that delays like this do not last for so long in future and that the system is reformed to make it faster. Abu Qatada should have made this decision to face justice in Jordan before, as this has dragged on far too long, but it is extremely welcome news that this saga is now at an end.""We must ensure that delays like this do not last for so long in future and that the system is reformed to make it faster. Abu Qatada should have made this decision to face justice in Jordan before, as this has dragged on far too long, but it is extremely welcome news that this saga is now at an end."
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