British Terrorist Extradition Hearing

A British Muslim is facing an extradition hearing to the US. He has been charged with raising funds for Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Syed Talha Ahsan set up and ran a website for this purpose along with fellow terrorist Babar Ahmad. Ahmad has already been ordered to be extradited but is appealing. The website contained "a declaration of war against American forces in Saudi Arabia following the Gulf War and the incitement of homicidal violence against Israel", according to the prosecution.

The defending lawyer said:

Absolutely every piece of conduct has taken place in the UK. Nobody says that Mr Ahsan went to the US. The fact of the matter is all the conduct takes place here and this is an entirely artificial basis on which the law has been construed.

In other words, they agree that he incited violence against American troops and Israelis. But that is OK because he did so in Britain and, while the US would deal with such incitement, in Britain those things are acceptable. Apparently.