Monday, November 10, 2008

Bin Laden Aide Planned Escape

Source Article HERE.

From 'Sky News': A radical cleric, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, is back behind bars in the UK after he allegedly planned to escape the country. Abu Qatada was allegedly planning to escape the UK for the Middle East, but he is now back in jail accused of breaching his bail conditions. He will appear before an immigration hearing and could be sent to prison permanently. UK Border Agency officials allegedly discovered the 47-year-old Jordanian was planning to flee to the Middle East despite having his passport taken away. A judge cancelled his bail and Qatada was arrested.

Back in June, courts ruled it would breach his human rights if he was deported back to Jordan. Ministers are appealing the decision but in the mean-time the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) said he should be released on bail. He is required to wear an electronic tag, stay for 22 hours a day in his west London home, and is barred from using the internet or mobile phones. He is also banned from associating with known terrorists, including bin Laden.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) initially ruled Qatada should be deported as the UK had signed a "memorandum of understanding" with Amman guaranteeing he would not be tortured. But the Court of Appeal later overturned the ruling. Qatada was first arrested in 2001 by anti-terrorism police. He was carrying £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya". He had been convicted in his absence in the Middle East of involvement with terror attacks in 1998 and of plotting to plant bombs for the Millennium.

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