London
The U.S. this week filed for the extradition of the radical Muslim cleric and suspected terrorist Abu Hamza al-Masri. Al-Masri, who lost an eye and a hand fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, is accused of trying to set up a terror training camp in Oregon, of funding other training camps, and of masterminding a hostage taking in Yemen. The Egyptian-born cleric was head of Britain’s notorious Finsbury Park mosque, where shoe bomber Richard Reid and Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th hijacker, listened to his exhortations to kill infidels. “The evidence gathered by the FBI,” U.S. government lawyer James Lewis told a British court, “shows that Abu Hamza was a member of a conspiracy to wage global jihad.” Al-Masri’s defense lawyers are fighting his extradition, arguing that he would not get a fair trial in the U.S. and that some of the evidence against him may have been obtained from tortured witnesses.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The extra costs to consider when planning your summer holidayThe Explainer Air fares are on the rise but that is not the only charge you need to pay for your getaway
-
8 genre-defining Black country, folk and blues musiciansThe Week Recommends Keeping the legacy alive, even when the industry tries to keep them down
-
Will young people refuse to vote in the 2024 presidential election?Today's Big Question The kids are not alright
