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May 27, 2004
Tick Tock
Abu Hamza al-Masri, arrested yesterday by British authorities, has been charged by an 11 count U.S. indictment.
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 and the Taliban by facilitating violent jihad in Afghanistan.
There's some question on whom will get him first. Britain has been trying to deport him; Yemen also wants him on charges of advocating terrorism. To further complicate matters, one of the US charges, hostage taking, carries the death penalty. Britain normally won't extradite on charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty.
But then this is hardly a normal extradition.
Posted by Rita at May 27, 2004 10:08 AM