Al-Qaida's top man in Europe freed from British jail

Abu Qatada, a radical cleric who was once described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe," has been freed from an English prison after six years.

After six years behind bars, Abu Qatada, al-Qaida’s most senior man in Europe, was released on bail from a high security English prison on Monday, triggering uproar among British officials who say he should stay imprisoned.

The European Court of Human Rights told Britain to release Qatada because he had not been charged. The court said his detention was unlawful.

The 51-year-old extremist preacher is believed to have inspired several al-Qaida attacks, including those on the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. Videos of his lectures were found in the hijackers’ apartments.


British Prime Minister David Cameron passionately decried the ruling, saying, “We are doing everything we can do to get this man out of the country.”

The human rights court will not allow Britain to extradite Qatada to Jordan, where he is wanted on terrorism charges, because the court believes the Jordanians would torture him for information.

“This has put the British government in a very tough position,” said Michael Leiter, NBC News’ counter-terrorism analyst. “It has highlighted the inherent tension of the European Court of Human Rights making a decision that is contrary to the professional views of the British security services.”

Six other men connected with al-Qaida may be freed from British prisons because of the court ruling. Among them, Abu Hamza, a radical Muslim cleric, is currently fighting extradition to the U.S.  

The debate over whether the men should be freed comes just in time  for the UK’s biggest security challenge ever: the Olympics.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

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I wonder if Barbour got a job on the British court and pardoned him?

  • 4 votes
#1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:59 PM EST

He is heading straight to Syria to assist The muslim brotherhood and the innocent civilians! Maybe Obama has a clean cage for this animal at gitmo?

  • 11 votes
#1.1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:49 PM EST

Times are changing fast and crimes are becoming more sophisticated.

Here the judicial systems have failed to keep up with times!

These human rights groups and European courts which could not deliver justice to the huge numbers of innocents affected by Sunni Islamic Nazi (about 80 percent) terrorist bombings, killings are looking to justice from their own angles.

Why Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are not made to compensate to the relations of maimed, killed and living in fear?

What sort of a Stone Age these human rights groups, their courts and judcial systems are in?

  • 7 votes
#1.2 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:21 PM EST

Mybe the hit squad that does not exist can take this thug out for a one way ride in the English country side, and lunch could be included I'm sure.

  • 7 votes
#1.3 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:42 PM EST

"The European Court of Human Rights told Britain to release them"

What about the rest of the world where these pieces of human waste can hurt others...where are the HUMAN RIGHTS for the rest of the world???

  • 14 votes
#1.4 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:49 PM EST

“It has highlighted the inherent tension of the European Court of Human Rights making a decision that is contrary to the professional views of the British security services.”

One of the many problems that come from international organizations dictating internal policy. One size does not fit all. At least Britain was smart enough to stay out of the euro.

  • 5 votes
#1.5 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:56 PM EST

Next stop for Qatada after he "sneaks" out of England: PAKISTAN.

Standby for a higher ranking court: World Court....hosted by no other than the United Nations and mainly funded by the United States of America.

  • 3 votes
#1.6 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:24 PM EST

There are lots of double-decker buses in Great Britain, and I sincerely hope that this Islamic POS slips under the back wheels of one of them and then . . . 'POP' goes the weasel an' all that. Instant double-decker justice.

  • 3 votes
#1.7 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:10 AM EST

I knew it! I knew it ! Margaret Thatcher was an anchor baby. I knew no woman could actually sound like that.

  • 1 vote
#1.8 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:42 AM EST

Well, maybe this way he can mysteriously get shot on the street before he leaves the country.

That would sure be handy!

  • 3 votes
#1.9 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:03 AM EST

PeteMT: also thinking in the same terms re: this Terrorist.

Letting the top Al-Qaida Leader go from a British prison, may not be such a bad idea.

If he is out and about; or in hiding going back to the Middle East, the US and Britain may plan to use Drones to find this murderer and kill him---

It would be easier to get rid of him if he is not inside in jail. Britain probably got all the information they needed from him.

Al-Qaida, watch out---It could be another big catch like Osama Bin Laden, and the others who met their ill last fate.

  • 4 votes
#1.10 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:59 AM EST

How about putting the blame squarely where it belongs?

6 years in jail and you STILL don't have enough evidence to charge him?

I respectfully suggesst sloppy detective work. Don't just lock somebody up to make your own job easier, charge him or release him.

I have no love for these kinds of men, but 6 years without charges being brought is outrageous for anybody.

Without being charged, you cannot be proven innocent or guilty. What do they think you can just hold people indefinitely?

Wait, do they have the NDAA in Britain?

  • 4 votes
#1.11 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:51 AM EST

A world gone mad.

  • 2 votes
#1.12 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:37 AM EST

Are we sure this is not Scotland were talking about here? You know this guy will just go back to what he was doing before, possibly with even more fervor!

  • 2 votes
#1.13 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:54 AM EST

Send him here, I'm sure John Ashcroft will have a nice bed and breakfast waiting for him.

  • 1 vote
#1.14 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:00 AM EST

See now, this is why you don't CAPTURE terrorists... just shoot 'em! Can you imagine the fiasco if this were Bin Laden? It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, and the world would be a better place without him.

  • 6 votes
#1.15 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:45 PM EST

I heard that his brother, Abra Qatada, disappeared into thin air!

  • 2 votes
#1.16 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:50 PM EST

Yearight- I hear ya on that one, but if I were this terrorist I would be as nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I think prison would have been better on his health. Wouldn't surprise me if he was dead within a month....peace

  • 2 votes
#1.17 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:58 PM EST

Looks like a drone strike candidate.More than likely why they let him go.Ok by me.

  • 1 vote
#1.18 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:44 PM EST

He better hope he doesn't run across one of the radioactive salads that took that Russian dissident out. He went from a curly top to looking like Uncle Fester !! From what I've seen of this $h*t bag, he could use a little less hair !!

    #1.19 - Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:51 AM EST
    Reply

    So they never charged him, but won't let him leave the country. Jordan will charge him, but can't have him because they *might* torture a terrorist. End result? Free as a bird.

    Moral of the story? America isn't the only country with a fscked-up justice system.

    • 8 votes
    Reply#2 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:05 PM EST

    You bet killers, especially Saudi and Pakis, have special rights, extra special justice system and everything!

    Those killed and affected by their reckless and merciless bombings and killings are no where to go!

    And there not many in the world, who are willing to even listen to their weepings!

    • 2 votes
    #2.1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:25 PM EST
    Reply

    Well if he's not charged with anything, he can't be jailed. Simple as that.

    • 3 votes
    Reply#3 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:08 PM EST

    If this Godfather of killers is not charged, then investigations and judicial systems are broke!

    But why should I be hurt due to them?

    • 2 votes
    #3.1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:26 PM EST

    Certainly there's SOMETHING they can charge this hateful POS with to keep him locked up.

    • 3 votes
    #3.2 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:30 AM EST
    Reply

    And this is what happens when you allow a foreign body to dictate the actions of a sovereign state.

    Who in their right mind would appoint these countries any oversight whatsoever of their judicial system? The citizenship of ECHR judges:

    Belgium
    Andorra
    Croatia
    Luxembourg
    Poland
    Romania
    Denmark
    Czech Republic
    Slovenia
    Russian Federation
    Austria
    Sweden
    Armenia
    Azerbaijan
    Netherlands
    Iceland
    Lithuania
    Slovak Republic
    Serbia
    Latvia
    Liechtenstein
    Monaco (other than casino regulation, why?)
    Finland
    Cyprus
    Spain
    Hungary
    “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (Can't even decide on a name for their own country)
    Albania
    Georgia
    Ireland
    Bulgaria
    Turkey
    Republic of Moldova
    Montenegro
    San Marino
    Italy
    Ukraine
    Malta
    Germany
    Estonia
    Portugal
    Greece
    Norway
    Switzerland
    France

    • 4 votes
    Reply#4 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:22 PM EST

    Republic of Macedonia is how Macedonians call it, the reason why it's being called Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia by everyone else is because Greece had an issue. But then again, if you ever went to Greece you'd know why Greece is the way it is.

      #4.2 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:58 PM EST
      Reply

      I hope they drugged him and planted a tracking device up his butt.

      • 5 votes
      Reply#5 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:24 PM EST

      How about a small 'improvised explosive device' as well, with a sonic trigger. That way the POS gets one last fart and MI-5 get to blow his ungodly arse straight through his festering brains. And THAT will be the closest any part of him gets to Heaven.

      • 3 votes
      #5.1 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:15 AM EST
      Reply

      just think about it..that would be the best place for a bug..they can take him out with the rest of his party while he is on the toilet

      • 1 vote
      Reply#6 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:26 PM EST

      And they let him and his accomplices out right before the Olympics?? This utterly transcends shooting yourself in the foot. They should have told the Euro Court to bugger off. Guess I'll sell my tickets now...

      • 5 votes
      Reply#8 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:27 PM EST

      no he has a bug in his butt.i betcha

        #8.1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:28 PM EST

        No point telling the European Human Rights Commission folks to bugger off - what do you think they're doing with each other all day? Some of them might take time off to look into a mirror while they masturbate, but they'll soon get back on task.

        • 1 vote
        #8.3 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:19 AM EST

        for some reason i can[t fathom, why in hell is a sovereign country, i.e. England, obedient to this court in another land? What is the punishment for refusing to release this dangerous nutjob so he can engineer or inspire even more bloodshed of innocents around the world?

        The brits should just have said, go to hell. And kept him in prison. What's the penalty? A bad report card"

        I think the majority of the civilized world would alpplaud a show of guts and balls, for once on the part of the English.

        • 3 votes
        #8.4 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:42 AM EST
        Reply

        oh we are so scared..they let him loose..don't worry his army of Taliban soldiers in heaven will return and save him..but when..hey terrorist..where is yassar Arafat at ..also..he should have come down and destroyed ..us infidels..years ago..

          Reply#9 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:38 PM EST

          no no let us it get right the unions did this..Obama had inside connection that's it..huh tea party did i nail it

          • 3 votes
          Reply#10 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:40 PM EST

          Were is Mossad when you really need them ?

          • 3 votes
          Reply#11 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:03 PM EST

          I have a feeling he will not be sleeping too soundly from now on..............

          • 1 vote
          #11.1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:59 PM EST
          Reply

          Rather than convict and ex ec ute this thug, they let him go. Now, however, he becomes a fair target for US drones. Is this some fricking game from a bad spy movie, or are European and British prosecutors just that incompetent?

          • 4 votes
          Reply#12 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:05 PM EST

          I thought the British were our allies. Why don't they send him to the USA, so that he can pay for his crimes?

          • 1 vote
          Reply#13 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:21 PM EST

          Not charging Abu Qatada, al-Qaida's most senior man in Europe and releasing him due to the intervention of European human rights courts is a cruel joke and murder of judicial system.

          European Union can't even help those nations like PIIGS and more on line to come out of their bankruptcies and can do nothing to the collapse of Euro.

          Now they are not even permitting citizens to live without fear!

          A body like EU, which is supposed to be an asset, has become a liability like the UN.

          Are these EUs needed?

          • 3 votes
          Reply#14 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:32 PM EST

          I hope nothing bad happens to him. Where exactly is he living and can we have a recent photo. I have some FF miles I can use for a trip to England, anyone care to join me.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#15 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:58 PM EST

          Very soon after this animal is free to roam, he will start planning attacks again. I hope USA has a commando group to locate him and just cut his throat immediately before he gets lost.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#16 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:21 PM EST

          Hope they at least installed a miniature tracking chip in his neck such that he might be the next fortunate solitary witness to the modern wonders of the drone launched missile.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#17 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:01 AM EST

          From Empire to choking on some Continental bureaucracy's well-manicured cock within the span of a lifetime. Hail, Britannia!

            Reply#18 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:02 AM EST

            Don't know whether to be more disgusted with Britain or this assup "human rights" group. Why in hell didn't Britain just go ahead and try the @!$%# and execute him, or just go ahead and extradite him to Jordan? Who is making them turn this nutjob loose on the rest of the world? Briatain ought to be sanctioined by what[s left of the civilized world (they certainly ren't part of it anymore) for this, and they deserve to get the fruits of this creep's subhuman activities. Another job for Obama's special Navy Seals. Go, navy. and then send the bill to Britain and to the human rights commission. I can see a boycott of the Olympics coming.

              #18.1 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:49 AM EST
              Reply

              Obviously neither the U.K. or the U.S. have sufficient laws on the books to legally charge and hold (not to mention convict) these dangerous extremists. All because there are no sane limits placed upon the exercise of religion in our world. This is patently the stupidest thing in the whole world! We have established sane limits when it comes to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but there still are no effective limits when it comes to the concept of freedom of religion. I have desperately tried to explain for over 12 years now that all three of these corrupt Abrahamic religions are ET installed biocybernetic warfare components of a larger ET designed PWMD, or Program Weapon of Mass Destruction, which is designed to crash and explode our emerging human world in a final programmed cataclysm of global warfare fueled with WMDs, known as the Christian Apocalypse or World War III. Please understand that our emerging human world has been under covert biocybernetic warfare attack for thousands of years already, primarily in the form of these ET installed terminal religious belief systems known as the Abrahamic religions. These ETs want to militarily intervene into our world one day soon, using their eminent domain rights of military intervention in our sector of the Milky Way galaxy, so they can eventually steal and annex our extremely valuable celestial real estate, and ultimately render mankind extinct on this planet, after supposedly trying for a thousand intervening years following their military intervention to salvage or redeem mankind from their "hopelessly violent ways". These ETs were forced to take this covert approach at territorial conquest in our Milky Way galaxy, because there are Free Galaxy powers which reside elsewhere in our Milky Way galaxy, who currently stand in the way of overt military conquest on a stellar level. I personally know all of this because I personally lived at Wright Patterson Air Force base from 1951 to 1953, while my grandfather (Colonel Charles Faulkner Carter) was second in command there. He was personally involved in the background investigation into the Roswell Incident of 1947. These same ETs overflew Washington DC for several weeks in 1952, in order to demand the return of the Roswell crash remains. They chose the middle of the Korean War as the most opportune time to do this, since we had our hands full militarily with the Soviets, the Red Chinese, and the North Koreans. Mankind potentially has countless millions (even billions) of years of growth, development and expansion ahead of them, so long as they don't fall for these ET installed terminal religious belief systems. This is the real "Gospel" or "Good News" which mankind needs to hear. (Unfortunately, the Obama White House has recently chosen to totally discredit me, by their latest official statement about ET and UFO activity around our world. In doing so, I personally believe they have effectively signed the death warrant for the entire human race, since there is really no effective way to defuse this ET plot against our world without telling the entire human race "The Truth".) - Rick Carter

                Reply#19 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:10 AM EST

                (I am former U.S. Special Forces, 6th Group (Psyops) and 5th Group, top "Go Team" Ft. Bragg, N.C., ETS from active duty 1972. Please know that I would not lie about any of this !!! The future existence of all mankind is potentially at stake here.) - RC

                  #19.1 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:42 AM EST

                  ((Go A-Team 132! Thanks for everything, Captain Hayworth. You may not know it, but you truly saved the day!)) - RC

                    #19.2 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:48 AM EST

                    Yes, where I come from, we knew of the ET Plot, here on Earth. However it was only the foresight of Jor-El, that his son Kal-El, came to Earth at that time, but Kal-El never told anyone, not even Lois (Lane) about the ET Plot here on Earth.

                    Where I come from, we have what we call, Alumnite, which is way more powerful than Kryptonite, & can guard against ET'S. but you must know who are the ET's, because it won't work on the Un-Godly, in their bikinis & sometimes out of their bikinis, & such.

                    We have just now figured-out how to make artificial 'Alumnite' & are planning to make soon, the stuff available, & should be available shortly from 'Amazon.Com'.

                    All major Credit Cards accepted. A payment plan can be worked-out, as this stuff ain't CHEAP.

                    • 1 vote
                    #19.3 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:51 AM EST

                    Rick carter is Geo.Lucas.

                      #19.4 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:15 PM EST
                      Reply

                      Yes, where I come from, we knew of the ET Plot, here on Earth. However it was only the foresight of Jor-El, that his son Kal-El, came to Earth at that time, but Kal-El never told anyone, not even Lois (Lane) about the ET Plot here on Earth.

                      Where I come from, we have what we call, Alumnite, which is way more powerful than Kryptonite, & can guard against ET'S. but you must know who are the ET's, because it won't work on the Un-Godly, in their bikinis & sometimes out of their bikinis, & such.

                      We have just now figured-out how to make artificial 'Alumnite' & are planning to make soon, the stuff available, & should be available shortly from 'Amazon.Com'.

                      All major Credit Cards accepted. A payment plan can be worked-out, as this stuff ain't CHEAP.

                        Reply#20 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:50 AM EST

                        You are a tiresome,boring fool.

                        • 1 vote
                        #20.1 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:44 AM EST

                        You mean "Amascam.com"?

                          #20.2 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:05 PM EST
                          Reply

                          Balls up England. Charge him with something or send him to Jordan. First the Scotts free Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber now the Brits let this guy go. Thank God the S.O. took out Osama Bin Laden or he probably would have been out in 48 hours. After all he didn't "physically" do anything either.

                            Reply#21 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:54 AM EST

                            So, do the right thing and make sure this goat f**ker has a terminal "accident". Not so hard to arrange.

                            • 2 votes
                            Reply#22 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:00 AM EST

                            Another job for our drones.

                              #22.1 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:55 AM EST

                              So not happy - I have a better Idea to deal with this scum bag. Tell the world court that if this scum f&*ck causes the death of anyone while free then those EU judges will be tried in absentia and executed by the U.S. government (via CIA) for his crime. The U.S. government needs to scare the living $hit out of the world court so they know who is running the show; and it's not them!

                              • 1 vote
                              #22.2 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:16 AM EST
                              Reply

                              Obviously Britain is getting something out of this.

                                Reply#23 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:24 AM EST

                                Sometimes the British are idiots.

                                  Reply#24 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:54 AM EST

                                  This fatherless scum must be nuked!

                                    Reply#25 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:45 AM EST

                                    Being freed likely means he has been "recruited" as a "Manchurian Candidate-type" informant for the good guys.

                                    It will be interesting to see if AQ is taken in by him.....

                                      Reply#26 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:51 AM EST
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