Brits can't deport bin Laden's right hand man

Scotsman:

THE government's anti-terror policy was dealt a double blow yesterday when firebrand preacher Abu Qatada won his fight against deportation, and ministers were forced to abandon their bid to eject a further 12 terror suspects from Britain.

Qatada, a Jordanian once described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", will remain behind bars while the Home Office appeals against his landmark victory in the Court of Appeal.

In the second case, two Libyans known only as "AS" and "DD" won their appeals against deportation, leading the Home Office to drop proceedings against them and ten other Libyans suspected of terrorism.

"We have already taken steps to protect the public," the Home Office spokesman said.

It is believed that AS and DD, who were previously on bail from the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, are now subject to control orders.

Other steps – including further control orders – have been imposed on the other ten Libyans, it is understood.

The security services are also expected to keep others under surveillance.

The development is highly damaging to the government's policy of seeking "memoranda of understanding" (MOUs) with foreign countries to deport terror suspects.

The so-called MOUs are designed to give reassurances that countries with poor human-rights records will not torture or ill-treat anyone returned.

The ruling in the case of AS and DD leaves the MOU with Libya – signed in October 2005 – effectively in tatters.

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Richard Reid, the "shoebomber", and Zacarias Moussaoui, the "20th hijacker" on 9/11, are said to have sought his advice.

Qatada arrived in the UK in 1993 on a fake United Arab Emirates passport and was granted asylum in 1994. He lived with his family in Acton, west London.

When first questioned by British anti-terror officers, he had £170,000 in cash on him, including £805 in an envelope labelled "For the Mujahedin in Chechnya".

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Liberals in the UK defend this nonsense. They are apparently very proud of hosting terrorist and their supporters. Meanwhile the UK is doing all it can to deport the 15 year old step daughter of a British citizen because she was born in the USA. Go figure.

The Telegraph has more on Qatada.

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Qatada has been convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement with terror attacks in 1998, and of plotting to plant bombs at the Millennium.

The radical cleric once called on British Muslims to martyr themselves, and tapes of his sermons were found in a flat in Germany used by some of the September 11 hijackers.

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The government has effectively tied itself in knots over the terrorist rights agenda of the EU and turned it into a suicide pact.

The Daily Mail says the Brits also get the privilege of paying him a $2,000 a month pension for life. Welfare for terrorism in the UK pays handsomely. I think they need to work on their welfare reform.