Britain frees radical cleric Abu Qatada

[TheMercenary]

(Reuters) - A radical cleric once described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe" was freed from a British prison to live under virtual house arrest on Monday after a court ruled that his detention without trial was unlawful.

The Jordanian preacher known as Abu Qatada must wear an electronic tag to allow the police to keep track of him, spend 22 hours a day at his family home and is banned from using the Internet and mobile phones.

What about the other 2 hours? Typo? Or does he get to run Down to the internet cafe?

[Rhianne]

Yes, of course he will, he's a member of this place and after being locked away for the past three years he must be desperate to see how his entry in the Death Pool competition is doing.

[HungLikeJesus]

Free radicals aren't as bad for you as once thought.

[wolf]

They weren't using those Houses of Parliament much, anyway ... modern urban renewal, right?

[infinite monkey]

That's one of the best songs from The Lion King


Abu Qatada! What a wonderful phrase
Abu Qatada! Ain't no passing craze
It means no worries for the rest of your days
It's our problem-free philosophy

[monster]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

That's one of the best songs from The Lion King


Abu Qatada! What a wonderful phrase
Abu Qatada! Ain't no passing craze
It means no worries for the rest of your days
It's our problem-free philosophy

snort.

[Happy Monkey]

Hm. So detention without trial is unlawful, but house arrest with electronic tagging without trial is OK?

[TheMercenary]

Well they do give him 2 hours off a day. They just need to send him back to Jordan.

[wolf]

I suspect that there are also about 30 MI-5 guys installed as residents and shopkeepers in his neighborhood.

[TheMercenary]

We can only hope.

[classicman]

Ahead of his release, the Home Office interior ministry said it would "exhaust all avenues" to ensure his extradition to Jordan, where he was convicted in his absence of involvement in terror attacks in 1998.

"Everyone is united in wanting this man deported," a Home Office spokeswoman told AFP.

"This government will exhaust all avenues open to get Qatada on a plane.

"If we do so, we will continue to negotiate with the Jordanians to see what assurances we can be given about the evidence used against Qatada in their court."

[TheMercenary]

Then again they could just show up at his house in black hoods throw his ass in a van, drive him to the airport and send him on his way.

Then just say they don't know what happened to him.

I like that idea better.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Then again they could just show up at his house in black hoods throw his ass in a van, drive him to the airport and send him on his way.

Then just say they don't know what happened to him.

I like that idea better.

Originally Posted by mercy

So why not send him home and let his home country make such determination? Or are you afraid the their legal process is flawed? Can you provide concrete evidence that their legal process failed and he was wrongly convicted? Why are you shielding a terrorist sympathizer?

Quite and assload of assumptions you have there mercy. Why not send him home? Heck if I know. Why isn't he being sent "home"? There must be a reason, no one is his current neighborhood seems to want him to stay, yet he stays, and at considerable expense. You tell me why not send him home.

Am I afraid their (Jordan's) legal process is flawed? It seems clear that you feel the UK's legal process is flawed given your quote at the top there. To answer your question, I don't know enough about Jordan's legal system, and I doubt you know enough either, to make an informed judgment. Also, I don't feel I know enough about this particular case to say whether or not he was treated fairly by the legal processes he's been subject to.

I will say that extended detention without charge is wrong, wherever it happens. London, Guantanamo Bay, anywhere. That is wrong.

Concrete evidence?! Ok! Let's get down to it. Can you provide concrete evidence that he's committed a crime in the UK, that he's broken any of their laws and should be convicted?

Why are you tearing down the rule of law?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by BigV

Quite and assload of assumptions you have there mercy.

thanks I needed that laugh....

Am I afraid their (Jordan's) legal process is flawed? It seems clear that you feel the UK's legal process is flawed given your quote at the top there.

bullshit, those are your words, don't put them in my mouth.

To answer your question, I don't know enough about Jordan's legal system, and I doubt you know enough either, to make an informed judgment. Also, I don't feel I know enough about this particular case to say whether or not he was treated fairly by the legal processes he's been subject to.

I know they have always been a friend of ours in a hornets nest of evil and that is good enough for me, if you need to use another standard then do so, but don't include me in your distrust. What you think about my assessment should not be important.

I will say that extended detention without charge is wrong, wherever it happens. London, Guantanamo Bay, anywhere. That is wrong.

Great, so why do you continue to support Obama? He has done all of those things and MORE.

Concrete evidence?! Ok! Let's get down to it. Can you provide concrete evidence that he's committed a crime in the UK, that he's broken any of their laws and should be convicted?

Why are you tearing down the rule of law?

I don't need too... I would just send him to Jordan and you can ask them those questions. I don't care....

[Sundae]

Merc? Tolerance?
Play nice.

It stretches my liberal credentials not to want him slung onto the next plane home, torture or not.
But I have to hold true. This cannot be the thin end of the wedge.

Although I admit, a capering part of me is singing, "Didn't like Western values? Ha ha ha, off you go back home then!"

But hey.
Martin McGuinness is now the Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland, so I guess I failed terrorist rehab 101.