Styles 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Scary lookin' motherfucker, eh? U.S. Slaps Al Qaeda-Linked Cleric With 11 Charges Thursday, May 27, 2004 LONDON — Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri (search) has been charged by the United States in an 11-count indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court. Al-Masri was arrested Thursday morning in Great Britain on an extradition warrant issued by the U.S. government. The Justice Department announced the arrest of the former imam at the Finsbury Park (search) mosque in London. The U.S. government is actively seeking Hamza's extradition from Great Britain. "Those who support our terrorist enemies anywhere in the world must know that we will not rest until the threat they pose is eradicated," U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in announcing the arrest. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on April 19, 2004, and was unsealed Thursday. The indictment charges him with hostage-taking and conspiracy to take hostages in connection with an attack in Yemen in December 1998 that resulted in the deaths of four hostages. The maximum sentence for the hostage taking is the death penalty. The indictment also charged Al-Masri with trying to set up terrorist training camp in Oregon. Other charges include providing material support to Al Qaeda (search) and the Taliban by facilitating violent jihad in Afghanistan. Earlier, London's Metropolitan Police press office refused to confirm the detention, saying only that officers from the Extradition and International Assistance Unit arrested a "British citizen, aged 47" at about 3 a.m. Thursday following an American request for his extradition. But police sources, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, confirmed that al-Masri was the man arrested. Anti-terrorist officers escorted the man to a central London police station and conducted a search of his west London home under the Extradition Act 2003 (search), police said. The man was due to appear at Bow Street Magistrates' Court, sitting at Belmarsh Prison, later Thursday, the Metropolitan Police added. The Home Office declined to comment on the arrest. Al-Masri is one of Britain's best known Islamic radicals. He has been fighting deportation by the government, which has accused him of advising and supporting terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda. The Egyptian-born cleric also is wanted in Yemen on charges of orchestrating terrorism there from Britain. The British government revoked his British citizenship in April 2003, calling him a threat to the country's interests. He has appealed that decision to a special immigration tribunal and a ruling isn't expected until early next year. Al-Masri, the former head preacher at Finsbury Park Mosque in London, has called the Sept. 11 attacks a Jewish plot and the invasion of Iraq a war on Islam. At an immigration hearing last month, a government lawyer said al-Masri had "provided advice and support to terrorist groups," including Al Qaeda and the Islamic Army of Aden, the organization that claimed responsibility for the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000. The lawyer said al-Masri had encouraged others to engage in jihad, "including fighting overseas and engaging in terrorist acts." Al-Masri, who married a British woman and took British citizenship in 1981, denies any involvement in violence and says he is only a spokesman for political causes. The fiery preacher with one eye and hooks for hands - lost, he says, fighting Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the 1980s - is a tabloid hate figure in Britain. He has sparked outrage with sermons calling the invasion of Iraq a "war against Islam," claiming the Sept. 11 attacks were a Jewish plot and calling the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster a "punishment from Allah" because Christian, Jewish and Hindu astronauts were aboard. Fox News' Anna Stolley and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Thank God! He's a vile hateful human being. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted May 27, 2004 The fiery preacher with one eye and hooks for hands - lost, he says, fighting Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the 1980s - is a tabloid hate figure in Britain. There's something disturbingly funny about this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justsoyouknow 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Pirates are terrorists now? Does he have a cool eyepatch? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firestarter 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 About fucking time. Electrocute this piece of shit and move on to the next one; God knows there are enough of them still out there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justsoyouknow 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 I say we make him walk the plank! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lando Griffin 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 He has to swab the poopdeck first! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest thebigjig Report post Posted May 27, 2004 hmmm... shave the beard and get rid of the hair, and he could definitely pass as Meathook from the Secret of Monkey Island Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 One eye and hooks for hands? That's a joke right? FOX NEWS is just playing around with us right? Otherwise, that's hilarious and yet disturbing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted May 27, 2004 About fucking time. Electrocute this piece of shit and move on to the next one; God knows there are enough of them still out there. [liberal] But what about his freedom of speech? [/liberal] -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Woah, his bottom teeth are freaky. I hope we are able to supply him with a good lawyer so he can be assured of a fair trial... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Woah, his bottom teeth are freaky. I hope we are able to supply him with a good lawyer so he can be assured of a fair trial... If his teeth aren't fixed soon --- wouldn't that be torture? -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justsoyouknow 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 How did we handcuff him? For that matter, how did we take his fingerprints when we booked him? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted May 27, 2004 How did we handcuff him? For that matter, how did we take his fingerprints when we booked him? He probably HAD a hand --- AND an eye --- before the evil U.S and British forces tortured him. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted May 27, 2004 That's an eye that can get you shoved under the floorboards. Yecch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Woah, his bottom teeth are freaky. I hope we are able to supply him with a good lawyer so he can be assured of a fair trial... If his teeth aren't fixed soon --- wouldn't that be torture? -=Mike Only if we kept feeding him Frosted Flakes without giving him a chance to brush and flss in-between... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted May 27, 2004 Woah, his bottom teeth are freaky. I hope we are able to supply him with a good lawyer so he can be assured of a fair trial... If his teeth aren't fixed soon --- wouldn't that be torture? -=Mike Only if we kept feeding him Frosted Flakes without giving him a chance to brush and flss in-between... They'll probably let a female dentist work on him --- just to humiliate him. Dang us for being such bastards! -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
