British Judge Rejects Bail for Terror Suspect

Posted May 28th, 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC-5)
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A British judge has rejected bail for terror suspect and radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada.

Judge John Mitting said Monday that having Qatada free and on the streets of London during the Summer Olympic Games would be “extremely problematic.” He said that if Qatada disappeared, valuable resources would be needed to track him down.

Qatada is fighting deportation to Jordan, where he was convicted in absentia for involvement in two terrorist bomb plots.

Qatada says he would be tortured if he were sent back to Jordan. The European Court of Human Rights has turned down Qatada's appeal against Britain's efforts to extradite him.

Qatada has been in and out of British jails since he was arrested in 2002 under the country's anti-terrorism laws. Britain says Qatada was former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden's top European deputy, and helped inspire the 2001 terror attacks on the United States.