FBI asks U.K. to extradite suspect

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, SEPT. 29. The first test of the British Government's anti-terrorism campaign has come sooner than expected with the FBI demanding the extradition to the U.S. of a 27-year-old Algerian pilot, Lotfi Raissi, arrested here in connection with the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

The FBI have described him as the ``biggest find we have had so far'' and of being of ``crucial importance'' to their investigations. First arrested last week, he was re-arrested on Friday on an international warrant seeking his custody on charges of ``conspiracy to murder''. Raissi, who was produced in a court on Saturday on the charge of having trained four of the suicide hijackers behind the attacks, has become the most public face of the so-called British ``connection'' with America's ``Black Tuesday'' prompting demands that the Government deliver on its tough anti-terrorism rhetoric by speeding up his extradition.

The Home Secretary, Mr. David Blunkett, who has promised to amend the time-consuming extradition procedures, came under pressure to expedite the process and make the proposed changes retrospective in order to facilitate Raissi's extradition. The former Shadow Home Secretary, Ms. Ann Widdecombe urged Mr. Blunkett to ``fast- track'' all outstanding extradition proceedings where there might be the ``slightest terrorist connection''. The new Shadow Home Secretary, Mr. Oliver Letwin was even more scathing saying: ``We must put a stop to this nonsense of Britain harbouring people accused of terrorism in other countries, particularly when those people may also pose a threat to our own national security.''

The Times, describing Raissi's case as a ``massive test of Britain's pledge to fight international terrorism'', reminded the Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair of his statement on the day of the attacks that Britain would ``stand shoulder to shoulder with all peaceful nations, taking every step necessary to hunt down those responsible and to ensure that terrorism will never prevail''. Human rights activists, however, opposed any move to curb civil liberties and insisted that Raissi was entitled to a proper extradition trial under the current laws. They warned against any attempt to extradite him by tinkering with the existing procedures and denying him his right to defend himself. Commentators said it could take up to three years to decide the case under the present extradition laws. Raissi's lawyer said he had ``adamantly denied any involvement in the recent appalling tragedy and he is confident he will be absolved of all involvement''. The FBI agents who were present during Saturday's hearings insisted that he was a key suspect. ``It is no secret that we are looking at charges of conspiracy to murder. What we say is that Mr. Raissi was in fact an instructor for four of the pilots that were responsible for the hijackings, and the one we are particularly concerned about is the one that crashed into the Pentagon,'' the counsel for U.S. administration told the court.

Raissi, who arrived in Britain early this year to train for a European pilot's licence, is alleged to have visited the U.S. several times this summer and in June he was at the Nevada flying school the same day as the pilot who was to crash his plane into Pentagon three months later. It is alleged that he was the``lead instructor'' for the hijackers. His family have protested dismissing the charges against him as ``nonsense''. His wife, who is French, works at Heathrow airport was arrested as also his brother but both were released later.

Meanwhile, Downing Street has sought to play down alarmist reports about a terrorist threat to Britain. Mr. Blair's spokesman said there was no evidence to back up such reports, which gained currency after the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Jack Straw, and his junior colleague, Mr. Peter Hain suggested that Osama bin Laden was planning terrorist attacks. A massive security operation has been launched in Brighton ahead of the Labour Party's annual conference starting there tomorrow.

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Section  : International
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