MikeyT Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23213740 Radical cleric Abu Qatada has arrived in Jordan to face terrorism charges after being deported from the UK. His plane left RAF Northolt at 02:46 BST to take him to his home country, which he has not visited in 20 years. Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted" that his removal had been achieved. Abu Qatada was first arrested over alleged terror connections in 2001 and the UK has been battling to deport him for eight years. The Palestinian-Jordanian cleric's deportation was finally able to proceed after the UK and Jordan signed a treaty agreeing that evidence obtained through torture would not be used against him. Home Secretary Theresa May said she was glad that the government's determination to remove him had been "vindicated". "This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country," she said. She added that she wanted to streamline such deportation processes in future. "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. "We are taking steps - including through the new Immigration Bill - to put this right." Abu Qatada was accompanied on the flight of around five hours by six people from Jordan, comprising three security officials, a psychologist, a medical examiner and his Jordanian lawyer, the BBC understands. The 53-year-old had been held at Belmarsh prison in south-east London, from where a convoy of three police vehicles left at midnight. A family friend who went with relatives including Abu Qatada's father and brothers to Jordan's Marka military airport told BBC Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell that he was taken straight to the state security court. He faces a retrial for plotting bomb attacks against American and Israeli tourists during Jordan's millennium celebrations. A Jordanian government spokesman confirmed the legal process against him had started and reiterated assurances that the trial would meet international standards. The cleric - who did not get to see his family - is expected to be taken to either Juwaida or Muwaqqar prison, our correspondent said. BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani said Home Office officials were "incredibly relieved" after "one of the most tense weeks in the department's recent history". "They were so concerned about the possibility that the cleric could change his mind at the last minute that they were leaving nothing to chance." Speaking on BBC Breakfast later, Mrs May said she had been provided with updates on the deportation throughout the night. She said she had been "as frustrated as the public" about the estimated £1.7m cost and length of time it had taken to remove Abu Qatada, but that people would welcome the end result. She said she did not have any concerns about the treatment Abu Qatada would face when he arrived in Jordan. She said: "The treaty we've signed ensures that there are proper processes of exchange of evidence and will insure the treatment of Abu Qatada and others deported to Jordan."Mrs May said she hoped to reduce the number of appeals open to people fighting to stay in the country and to look at Britain's relationship with the European Court of Human Rights. She said "nothing is off the table" when it comes to negotiating with Europe. Mr Cameron criticised a "caravan of lawyers" over the Abu Qatada case, adding that it had "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 it was so difficult to deport him, but we've done it, he is back in Jordan that is excellent news." 'Questions to answer' Abu Qatada, whose real name is Omar Othman, was granted asylum in the UK in 1994 but the Security Service came to view him as a threat as his views hardened. Richard Reid, the would-be mid-Atlantic shoe bomber, and Zacarias Moussaoui, both jailed for involvement in terrorism, are said to have sought religious advice from him. The cleric's sermons were also found in a flat in the German city of Hamburg used by some of those involved in 9/11. He vowed to fight the UK's 2005 decision to deport him to Jordan to face retrial over bomb plot allegations - setting in motion an eight-year legal battle. The dispute continued until May this year, when the cleric accepted that his right to a fair trial there was protected by the new treaty between Jordan and the UK. Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper welcomed the deportation and backed Mrs May's call for a more streamlined process in future. She said: "The home secretary has been right to get further guarantees from Jordan and we should welcome the series of agreements from the Jordanian government too. "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." Keith Vaz, chairman of Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee, questioned why the government had not started work on a treaty with Jordan at an earlier stage in the process. "The home secretary's legal advisers will have questions to answer as to why they didn't conceive of this scheme earlier which would have prevented a cost to the taxpayer of £1.7m."
Dr The Singh Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23213740 Radical cleric Abu Qatada has arrived in Jordan to face terrorism charges after being deported from the UK. His plane left RAF Northolt at 02:46 BST to take him to his home country, which he has not visited in 20 years. Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted" that his removal had been achieved. Abu Qatada was first arrested over alleged terror connections in 2001 and the UK has been battling to deport him for eight years. The Palestinian-Jordanian cleric's deportation was finally able to proceed after the UK and Jordan signed a treaty agreeing that evidence obtained through torture would not be used against him. Home Secretary Theresa May said she was glad that the government's determination to remove him had been "vindicated". "This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country," she said. She added that she wanted to streamline such deportation processes in future. "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. "We are taking steps - including through the new Immigration Bill - to put this right." Abu Qatada was accompanied on the flight of around five hours by six people from Jordan, comprising three security officials, a psychologist, a medical examiner and his Jordanian lawyer, the BBC understands. The 53-year-old had been held at Belmarsh prison in south-east London, from where a convoy of three police vehicles left at midnight. A family friend who went with relatives including Abu Qatada's father and brothers to Jordan's Marka military airport told BBC Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell that he was taken straight to the state security court. He faces a retrial for plotting bomb attacks against American and Israeli tourists during Jordan's millennium celebrations. A Jordanian government spokesman confirmed the legal process against him had started and reiterated assurances that the trial would meet international standards. The cleric - who did not get to see his family - is expected to be taken to either Juwaida or Muwaqqar prison, our correspondent said. BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani said Home Office officials were "incredibly relieved" after "one of the most tense weeks in the department's recent history". "They were so concerned about the possibility that the cleric could change his mind at the last minute that they were leaving nothing to chance." Speaking on BBC Breakfast later, Mrs May said she had been provided with updates on the deportation throughout the night. She said she had been "as frustrated as the public" about the estimated £1.7m cost and length of time it had taken to remove Abu Qatada, but that people would welcome the end result. She said she did not have any concerns about the treatment Abu Qatada would face when he arrived in Jordan. She said: "The treaty we've signed ensures that there are proper processes of exchange of evidence and will insure the treatment of Abu Qatada and others deported to Jordan."Mrs May said she hoped to reduce the number of appeals open to people fighting to stay in the country and to look at Britain's relationship with the European Court of Human Rights. She said "nothing is off the table" when it comes to negotiating with Europe. Mr Cameron criticised a "caravan of lawyers" over the Abu Qatada case, adding that it had "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 it was so difficult to deport him, but we've done it, he is back in Jordan that is excellent news." 'Questions to answer' Abu Qatada, whose real name is Omar Othman, was granted asylum in the UK in 1994 but the Security Service came to view him as a threat as his views hardened. Richard Reid, the would-be mid-Atlantic shoe bomber, and Zacarias Moussaoui, both jailed for involvement in terrorism, are said to have sought religious advice from him. The cleric's sermons were also found in a flat in the German city of Hamburg used by some of those involved in 9/11. He vowed to fight the UK's 2005 decision to deport him to Jordan to face retrial over bomb plot allegations - setting in motion an eight-year legal battle. The dispute continued until May this year, when the cleric accepted that his right to a fair trial there was protected by the new treaty between Jordan and the UK. Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper welcomed the deportation and backed Mrs May's call for a more streamlined process in future. She said: "The home secretary has been right to get further guarantees from Jordan and we should welcome the series of agreements from the Jordanian government too. "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." Keith Vaz, chairman of Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee, questioned why the government had not started work on a treaty with Jordan at an earlier stage in the process. "The home secretary's legal advisers will have questions to answer as to why they didn't conceive of this scheme earlier which would have prevented a cost to the taxpayer of £1.7m." This is the annoying part!!
Zingari Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 This is the annoying part!! It's because it's in the best interest of the lawyers/legal system to keep these cases going. The longer the better . It's been a right old money spinner I suppose. Someone's sad that their golden goose has flown.
MPH Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 This should of happened years ago. It annoys me that it has taken so long,,,, But at least he has now gone.... and I do like that fact she said we need to make sense of our own human rights laws and remove several layers of appeal so it doesn't take so long next time. Not remove the right to appeal but just that if they do appeal it doesn't take so long next time should this scenario happen again.. EDIT: anyone know why FT randomly changed peoples font size?
MooseBreath Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 Disappointed. I believe in a liberal, tolerant society where free speech is valued and we respect the beliefs of others. Don't know much about his background but he could have had a tough upbringing. More should be done to help these kinds of people but because of the government cuts and rich getting richer it is hard. The people I'm involved with take on cases like this. He should have been kept here and received help.
Guest Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 Disappointed. I believe in a liberal, tolerant society where free speech is valued and we respect the beliefs of others. Don't know much about his background but he could have had a tough upbringing. More should be done to help these kinds of people but because of the government cuts and rich getting richer it is hard. The people I'm involved with take on cases like this. He should have been kept here and received help. Someone's going fishing....
MPH Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 Disappointed. I believe in a liberal, tolerant society where free speech is valued and we respect the beliefs of others. Don't know much about his background but he could have had a tough upbringing. More should be done to help these kinds of people but because of the government cuts and rich getting richer it is hard. The people I'm involved with take on cases like this. He should have been kept here and received help. You don't make a very good lefty...
StanSP Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 So harsh and racist. Cast out of the UK just for doing what he believed in and what he believed was good. Such a shame. Don't fall for it.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 Disappointed. I believe in a liberal, tolerant society where free speech is valued and we respect the beliefs of others. Don't know much about his background but he could have had a tough upbringing. More should be done to help these kinds of people but because of the government cuts and rich getting richer it is hard. The people I'm involved with take on cases like this. He should have been kept here and received help.
Steven Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 There are more dangerous people than him in the Government, Police, MI5 and MI6. Any chance of deporting Dave (Erich Honecker) Cameron to the United Soviet of America.
Fox92 Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 About time, even though it's cost the taxpayer too much. Just need to get rid of all terrorists, that would be brilliant, because as one leaves another pops up.
Rincewind Posted 7 July 2013 Posted 7 July 2013 Has Moosebreath had a religious experience or something? I won't be biting the bait as I don't have strong feelings either way.. He's a bit of a nuisance and a good story to gain public support so alls well that ends well as a playwright once said.. I'm glad that is has pleased some peiole in these hard times.
Guest MattP Posted 8 July 2013 Posted 8 July 2013 Disappointed. I believe in a liberal, tolerant society where free speech is valued and we respect the beliefs of others. Don't know much about his background but he could have had a tough upbringing. More should be done to help these kinds of people but because of the government cuts and rich getting richer it is hard. The people I'm involved with take on cases like this. He should have been kept here and received help. Fair play to May and Cameron, I didn't think they would pull it off.
Zingari Posted 8 July 2013 Posted 8 July 2013 I miss him already Don't worry, they'll soon find (or invent ) another bogey man.
Zingari Posted 8 July 2013 Posted 8 July 2013 I truly hope he get's executed. Evil scum bag. What has he actually been proven guilty of ? Our government has said that it cannot bring a case against this dangerous Qatada bloke because all the evidence against him is based on information obtained by the UK intelligence services, but this hardly stands up to scrutiny when you consider the threshold for proving incitement is low. If you can convict someone for setting up a Facebook page, as two young men were following the riots in England last August, or that bloke who threatened to set Robin Hood airport alight , it beggars belief that there is no case against Qatada if he is anywhere near as ‘dangerous’ as the government says he is.
BoneDog Posted 8 July 2013 Posted 8 July 2013 Served his purpose to his intelligence handlers but they have new blokes like Choudary working for them now and stirring the pot, so off you trot Abu. NEXT.
Finnegan Posted 8 July 2013 Posted 8 July 2013 Served his purpose to his intelligence handlers but they have new blokes like Choudary working for them now and stirring the pot, so off you trot Abu. NEXT. No idea about Choudary but you're almost certainly right about the first part. Can't imagine he'd have been allowed to go to Jordan if he was of any further use.
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