British authorities yesterday detained 10 foreigners considered a threat to national security, including radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada, a government official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed that the Palestinian cleric described by British officials as Osama bin Laden's "spiritual ambassador in Europe," was in custody. His lawyer Gareth Peirce could not be reached for comment.
The Home Office refused to identify the foreigners.
The detentions came only days after British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced measures to deport radical Islamic extremists following last month's terrorist attacks on London's transit system. Human-rights activists have protested against measures that would allow Britain to deport suspects to countries where they could face torture.
Britain has been negotiating extradition agreements with several countries -- including Jordan, Algeria and Egypt -- to ensure that suspects would not be tortured. An agreement was signed on Wednesday with Jordan, where Abu Qatada was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment after being convicted of involvement in a series of explosions and terror plots.
"We believe now that we can get the assurances that these people will not be tortured or mistreated and on that basis we will be able to proceed with the deportations," Home Office minister Hazel Blears told the BBC.
Meanwhile, two people appeared in court yesterday charged in connection with the failed July 21 bomb attacks.
Ismael Abdurahman, 23, from southeast London, faces charges of withholding information from police about the whereabouts of Hamdi Issac, who is suspected of trying to blow up a subway train on July 21.
Issac, also known as Osman Hussain, later was detained in Rome and is being held there on international terrorism charges.
Abdurahman was also charged with failing to disclose information about Ibrahim Muktar Said, accused of trying to blow up a bus on July 21; assisting Issac in evading arrest; failing to disclose information about Yasin Hassan Omar, who allegedly tried to bomb a subway train near Warren Street Station, and failing to disclose information about Ramzi Mohamed, suspected of attempting to blow up a train near Oval Station.
Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, 30, also accused of failing to disclose information about Said and helping him evade arrest, was ordered held in custody until Nov. 17.
Ali and Abdurahman appeared at the Bow Street court via video-link from Belmarsh Prison in south London.
Issac's wife and sister-in-law also were due in court yesterday, charged with failing to disclose information about terrorism suspects. Six other people were expected in court yesterday over the July 21 attacks.
The three main suspects in the failed July 21 bombings appeared in court earlier this week on charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, possessing or making explosives and conspiracy to use explosives on July 21.
So far, British police have not charged anyone in connection with the July 7 bombings, which killed 56 people, including the four attackers.
Also at the Bow Street court, a terror suspect wanted by the US authorities appeared for a preliminary extradition hearing.
Haroon Rashid Aswat, 30, is accused by the US of conspiring to set up a camp in Bly, Oregon, in 1999 and 2000 to provide training in weapons, hand-to-hand combat and martial arts for militants aiming to fight in Afghanistan.
Judge Timothy Workman ordered Aswat to remain in custody until Sept. 8.
Aswat was deported from Zambia last weekend and arrested by British police under the US warrant.
He has said he would contest the extradition, and he denies the US allegations.
LANDMARK CASE: ‘Every night we were dragged to US soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests,’ a victim said More than 100 South Korean women who were forced to work as prostitutes for US soldiers stationed in the country have filed a landmark lawsuit accusing Washington of abuse, their lawyers said yesterday. Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in country to protect the South from North Korea. In 2022, South Korea’s top court ruled that the government had illegally “established, managed and operated” such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay about 120 plaintiffs compensation. Last week, 117 victims
China on Monday announced its first ever sanctions against an individual Japanese lawmaker, targeting China-born Hei Seki for “spreading fallacies” on issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and disputed islands, prompting a protest from Tokyo. Beijing has an ongoing spat with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, and considers foreign criticism on sensitive political topics to be acts of interference. Seki, a naturalised Japanese citizen, “spread false information, colluded with Japanese anti-China forces, and wantonly attacked and smeared China”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Monday. “For his own selfish interests, (Seki)
Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday vowed to “accelerate” his libertarian reforms after a crushing defeat in Buenos Aires provincial elections. The 54-year-old economist has slashed public spending, dismissed tens of thousands of public employees and led a major deregulation drive since taking office in December 2023. He acknowledged his party’s “clear defeat” by the center-left Peronist movement in the elections to the legislature of Buenos Aires province, the country’s economic powerhouse. A deflated-sounding Milei admitted to unspecified “mistakes” which he vowed to “correct,” but said he would not be swayed “one millimeter” from his reform agenda. “We will deepen and accelerate it,” he
Japan yesterday heralded the coming-of-age of Japanese Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing. The nephew of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Hisahito received a black silk-and-lacquer crown at the ceremony, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. “Thank you very much for bestowing the crown today at the coming-of-age ceremony,” Hisahito said. “I will fulfill my duties, being aware of my responsibilities as an adult member of the imperial family.” Although the emperor has a daughter — Princess Aiko — the 23-year-old has been sidelined by the royal family’s male-only
RSS