Peace campaigner and former hostage in Iraq Norman Kember has said that he is helping to fund radical preacher’s Abu Qatada’s bail.
Abu Qatada, who won an appeal against deportation which the government is currently trying to overturn, had appealed for Kember’s release when he was captured by the militant Swords of Truth group in Iraq in 2005.
Kember states that he wishes to "understand what his [Abu Qatada’s] position is and why he takes it". In the spirit of mutual dialogue and exchange of information, the CSC has decided to help enlighten Kember as to just what exactly constitutes Abu Qatada’s ‘position’.
Leaving aside Abu Qatada escaping charges of connections to German terrorist cells, (despite being found in possession of £170,000 cash, including £805 in an envelope labelled ‘For the Mujahedin in Chechnya’) he has been described as a religious and spiritual inspiration to a whole variety of high profile terrorist and extremist groups ever since he arrived in the UK in 1993 on a forged passport.
The Special Immigration and Appeals Commission labelled Abu Qatada a “truly dangerous individual” who was “heavily involved, indeed at the centre of terrorist activities associated with al-Qa’eda.” Convicted of terror attacks in Jordan, Abu Qatada has alleged links to “shoe bomber” Richard Reid and Zacarias Moussaoui, a member of al-Qaeda convicted for conspiracy to murder Americans during the attacks on 9/11. Tapes of Abu Qatada’s sermons have also been found in a flat used by some of those responsible for 9/11, including Mohammed Atta.
Abu Qatada is also said to be the “spiritual leader” of the al-Tawhid movement, which was led by al-Zarqawi, the eventual leader of al-Qa’eda in Iraq, and has links with bin Laden’s right-hand man, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Abu Qatada has also reportedly advocated the murder of Jews and attacking Americans and Brits.
The man whom Kember supports is also alleged to have terrorist connections in France, Spain, Italy and Belgium, and has been sought out for guidance by extremist groups in Iraq, Indonesia, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.
Kember says that "I think people need to talk to him [Abu Qatada] more”. Instead of recommending dialogue with Abu Qatada, perhaps Kember should instead look at some of the actions of the man whom he is now offering financial support too.