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| Queen lobbied for Abu Hamza arrest | Queen lobbied for Abu Hamza arrest |
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| The Queen lobbied the then-home secretary to secure the arrest of Abu Hamza al-Masri, the radical Islamist cleric who faces imminent extradition to the US, the BBC's security correspondent has said. | The Queen lobbied the then-home secretary to secure the arrest of Abu Hamza al-Masri, the radical Islamist cleric who faces imminent extradition to the US, the BBC's security correspondent has said. |
| Frank Gardner said the monarch personally told him she was aghast that Abu Hamza could not be arrested during the period when he regularly delivered vehemently anti-British views as imam of Finsbury Park mosque in north London. | Frank Gardner said the monarch personally told him she was aghast that Abu Hamza could not be arrested during the period when he regularly delivered vehemently anti-British views as imam of Finsbury Park mosque in north London. |
| During an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the wider issue of the 54-year-old's newly approved extradition to the US, Gardner said of Abu Hamza's former activities: "The Queen was pretty upset that there was no way to arrest him. She couldn't understand – surely there had been some law that he'd broken? In the end, sure enough there was. He was eventually convicted and sentenced for seven years for soliciting to murder and racial hatred." | |
| A clearly surprised James Naughtie, interviewing Gardner, described this revelation as "a corker". Gardner replied: "Yes, I thought I'd drop that in. She told me." | A clearly surprised James Naughtie, interviewing Gardner, described this revelation as "a corker". Gardner replied: "Yes, I thought I'd drop that in. She told me." |
| Gardner added: "She spoke to the home secretary at the time and said, surely this man must have broken some laws. Why is he still at large? He was conducting these radical activities and he called Britain a toilet. He was incredibly anti-British and yet he was sucking up money from this country for a long time." | Gardner added: "She spoke to the home secretary at the time and said, surely this man must have broken some laws. Why is he still at large? He was conducting these radical activities and he called Britain a toilet. He was incredibly anti-British and yet he was sucking up money from this country for a long time." |
| Gardner did not specify which home secretary was lobbied, but it appears most likely to be David Blunkett, who held the post from 2001 to 2004, at the peak of Abu Hamza's infamy before he was arrested. Following an initial arrest in August 2004, Abu Hamza was convicted in 2006 of 11 charges connected to soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred. | |
| The government has since battled to secure his extradition to the US, where he is wanted in connection with alleged plans to establish a terrorist training camp in Oregon, as well as claims he provided material support to the Taliban. He is also wanted in connection with allegations that he was involved in hostage-taking in Yemen in 1998. | The government has since battled to secure his extradition to the US, where he is wanted in connection with alleged plans to establish a terrorist training camp in Oregon, as well as claims he provided material support to the Taliban. He is also wanted in connection with allegations that he was involved in hostage-taking in Yemen in 1998. |
| Abu Hamza's eight-year battle against extradition ended on Monday when the European court of human rights c rejected his appeal, as well as those of four other terrorism suspects, and agreed an earlier ruling that their human rights would not be violated by the prospect of life sentences and solitary confinement in a US prison. |