Gary Fitleberg, January 6, 2005

A British cleric alleged to have recruited people to kill non-Muslims, including Jews, will go on trial July 4.

Abu Hamza Al-Masri is an Egyptian-born cleric known for his anti-Western speeches. He was arrested and charged by British prosecutors last fall. The prosecutors' action prevented him from being extradited to the United States, where he would have faced terrorism-related charges for activities in the United States.

He was arrested in Britain in May after U.S. authorities charged him with trying to establish a terrorist training camp in the western state of Oregon, involvement in hostage-taking in Yemen and funding terrorism training in Afghanistan.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2005 Gary Fitleberg