Posted on 02/08/2008 9:50:37 AM PST by 3AngelaD
LONDON - The Home Office agreed on Thursday to extradite radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri to the United States, where he faces terrorism charges linked to the setting up of an al Qaeda camp. The Home Office decision follows a court ruling on November 15, 2007, when a judge ruled there was nothing to prevent Egyptian-born Hamza, 49, being sent to the United States to face justice. That decision required Home Office ratification.
"I can confirm that today the home secretary signed an order for Abu Hamza's extradition to the United States," a Home Office spokesman said. "This was a decision taken in the interests of justice. This was an extradition request from the U.S. and we honour these requests when we think it is appropriate."
If Hamza does not appeal he can be extradited in 28 days. He has 14 days to appeal to the High Court. Hamza, who applauded the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, also faces charges that he was involved in plotting the seizure of 16 Western hostages in Yemen in 1998. Four of the hostages, three Britons and an Australian, were killed when Yemeni troops stormed the militants' hide-out.
The U.S. indictment accuses Hamza -- who has a hook in place of a missing hand -- of attempting to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon, from 1999 to early 2000, and also providing support to al Qaeda and the Taliban. He is wanted on a total of 11 charges in the United States and could be face up to 100 years behind bars if convicted.
In Britain, he is serving a seven-year jail term for inciting his followers to murder nonbelievers.
Gitmo this guy. Otherwise he’ll be ACLU’d to our death.
Yeah, and he’ll probably claim he was born that way.
Forget Gitmo, send him to one of those places like Diego Rivera, where non-Americans can do the interrogating. BTW, I wonder how good the Cubans are at interrogating prisoners? Maybe we can bribe a few Cuban authorities to do the job for some $$$$$???? (just joking here)
Of course Bush created all those terrorists... But WAIT! Wasn't Clinton President 1999/2000 !?
Oh Grampa, what big fingernails you have.
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