Abu Qatada - Deport the family

The UK government is getting tied in knots by the ruling, from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), that the UK cannot deport a man who has been labelled as 'extremely dangerous' because, Jordan, the country to which we want to deport him, may have used torture to procure evidence leading to convictions. and might 'probably' (their words) do so in his case.

I will come back to that in a moment but surely we can just go ahead and deport his family?  There seems to be limited information available on their 'origin' but if they are not born in Britain, why can't we deport them?

I have voiced concern about the ECHR ruling before, on this blog. How can judges dictate issues affecting the national security of the UK and against the express wishes of the UK's legally elected government? 

Just as importantly, how can we let them do so?  The first duty of a government must be to protect its people!  That isn't a party political issue, that is first principles.

I am afraid that as regards torture being used on extremists, I may be in a minority.  My view is that with Al Qaeda terrorists (as earlier with those from the IRA and UDA) then the 'normal' rules need to be suspended.  These people do not play by the same rules as us.  Imagine playing football and the opposing team were playing rugby!  While we are nicely following the FA rule book, our opponents are picking up the ball and battering us down on the way to scoring their idea of a goal!  What is almost as galling is we then have apologists who use legal manoeuvres to try to get us to accept this mis-application of the rules.  Usually at the tax-payers expense!!

I do appreciate that it is a slippery road down which to travel but frankly, we grant these people the freedoms of a civilized world  that they would remove as soon as they possibly could, at the same time as they seek to extinguish the lives of ordinary people around the world.    

Jordan is the country to which the UK is seeking to deport Abu Qatada (though he seems to have been born in Palestine!).  Jordan isn't part of Europe and doesn't have to kow-tow to political judges who think they should not only rule on law but actually make it.  So Jordan, rightly says that we don't need lectures on law and what is right from Europeans!

The ECHR ruling is patently wrong.  It sets out 'acceptable' standards of future behavior which no government can predict or control and then ties the hands of the UK government because of those very lack of control!

However, last time I looked, the UK was still a sovereign nation and the UK government was elected by its people, not judges in Strasbourg.  So the UK government must do the right thing and protect its people by deporting Abu Qatada.  And start by deporting his family.

Incidentally, who funds Abu Qatada's family?  Who funds his legal challenges?  MY expectation of an answer is that in both cases, it is the UK taxpayer.

Enough!!

Abu Qatada - Solutions

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Abu Qatada cannot be deported from the UK because 'information, probably, obtained under torture' will be used against him, if he is re-tried, for terrorism offences, in Jordan, where he was already tried and found guilty, in-absentia, for terrorist offences.

Some ways forward

The court has made clear that if the UK obtained an assurance from Jordan that evidence obtained by torture would not be used against Abu Qatada at trial, there would be nothing to stop his deportation.

So the UK can obtain such an assurance and deport him.

Or

The UK can arrest him based on his seemingly inciting comments made in the past and then deport him based on these?

Or

The UK can put him on a plane to Jordan and then face whatever censure the European Court imposes and either settle or pay any fines or tell the European Court that we simply don't recognise this judgement as it goes against our sovereign rights.  End of!

Or
The UK can put him on a plane to Israel or Palestine and let him go to Bethlehem, which is his birthplace (and isn't in Jordan!)

Or
I don't suppose we could request the countries of the judges that passed this ruling, to take their turn to house him and his family, in their country? 

Whatever,

Abu Qatada and his stated dependents must be denied any and all UK state support - no welfare benefits, no legal aid, NOTHING

If Abu Qatada is released into the UK community, then place him under 24/7 surveillance and overtly so.  Have uniformed officers follow him and his family at every turn and be positioned outside his home all the time.  Also,  have his telephones and Internet monitored and require cell phone companies to turn-over details of all calls he receives.

We must make life extremely difficult for the man that former Home Secretary, David Blunkett describes as 'extremely dangerous'.


Immediately deport all other terrorist suspects who have appeals to the Law Lords or the European Court of Human Rights.  Then deal with the consequences - what will the Law Lords or ECHR do, send in their troops?  Tell them to go to the hell where these terrorists will end up!  This shouldn't be a party political issue.  This is about common sense and decency versus the liberals and legal establishment that have no concept of how their weaknesses imperil our country.