Abu Qatada Tries to Break for the Border

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Radical cleric back in jail after bail is rescinded

Radical Islamic preacher, Abu Qatada, was back in Belmarsh prison today after reportedly attempting to flee to the Lebanon.

He was arrested at his Acton home early on Saturday morning. He is obliged to stay there for 22 hours each day under the terms of his bail conditions after winning his appeal against deportation to Jordan.

The arrest was a result of evidence obtained by the UK Border Agency that he was planning to escape. His passport had already been cancelled. A tribunal will meet on Wednesday to determine what further action is to be taken in his case.

Described as 'Osama Bin Laden's ambassador in Europe', Abu Qatada was earlier this year pictured in Acton with Yasser Al-Sirri a man who had been sentenced to death in Egypt for his alleged involvement in a car bombing which was seen by many as deliberately flouting the spirit of his bail conditions.

He has been in Britain since 1993 when he arrived from Jordan carrying a false passport. He was granted asylum but was arrested in 2001 and found to be carrying £170,000 in cash. He was arrested again in 2005 in the aftermath of the London bombings but successfully argued that the evidence on which the Jordanian authorities wanted to arrest him was partly obtained by the use of torture.

His bail has now been rescinded by a panel of judges so it appears unlikely that he will be returning to his Acton home.

November 10, 2008