THE GUARDIAN: Islamist cleric to face judge within 24 hours of landing in US after he and four other terrorism suspects are extradited from UK
The Islamist cleric Abu Hamza is expected to appear in a US court on Saturday to face terrorism charges after he was extradited from Britain along with four other suspects. The men were deported on two planes which left a military airbase in Suffolk late on Friday night after the high court rejected their final appeals earlier in the day.
Abu Hamza faces 11 charges in the US relating to hostage taking, conspiracy to establish a militant training camp and calling for holy war in Afghanistan.
His lawyers argued he was not fit to be deported on health grounds but UK judges rejected his appeal, paving the way for his immediate removal from the UK.
He is set to go before a judge at an open hearing within 24 hours of landing at an airport in New York.
The high court also threw out challenges by Babar Ahmad, Syed Ahsan, Khaled al-Fawwaz and Adel Abdul Bary after ruling they did not show "new and compelling" reasons to stay in the UK.
The US attorney general has confirmed the arrival of a flight carrying Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan who are due before a court in Connecticut in connection with the alleged running of a pro-jihad website. » | Cass Jones and Owen Bowcott | Saturday, October 06, 2012
Abu Hamza is wanted in the US on terrorist charges, including conspiring to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon, helping to abduct 16 hostages, two of them American. In the UK, he was charged with inciting racial hatred and encouraging followers to kill infidels »
