Al-Qaida suspect due in court

A British al-Qaida suspect will appear in court today over allegations he conspired to set up a terror training camp in the US.

Haroon Rashid Aswat, 30, was arrested by detectives last night as he landed back in Britain after being deported from Zambia.

He now faces being extradited to the US after a warrant was issued accusing him of being involved in conspiring to train people in Oregon to “fight jihad” in Afghanistan.

He was arrested in Lusaka, Zambia, last month under Zambian immigration laws and after talks between the American and British governments, it was agreed to deport him to Britain.

Aswat, who grew up in West Yorkshire, arrived in London at about 6pm last night.

He was immediately arrested and taken to a central London police station.

This morning he will appear at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court – sitting at Belmarsh in south east London – to face extradition proceedings to the US.

The US warrant alleges that between October 1, 1999, and April 30, 2000, Aswat “conspired with others to control and manage an association of persons in Bly, Oregon, who would be organised and trained, or organised and equipped, for the purpose of enabling them to be employed for the use or display of physical force in promoting a political object, namely to make hijrah to, and to fight jihad in, Afghanistan.”

Another charge said he conspired with others so that any training would “arouse reasonable apprehension” that people were being prepared to “fight jihad” in Afghanistan.

Zambian authorities are reported to have questioned Aswat over 20 phone calls reportedly made on his South African mobile phone with some of the July 7 London bombers.

Speaking from Batley, West Yorkshire, last night, one of Aswat’s relatives said the family did not wish to comment at this stage.

It has been reported they fear he will be sent to Guantanamo Bay if he is extradited to the US.

Martin Mubanga, a British Muslim who was arrested in Zambia in 2002, was taken to the US detention camp in Cuba, where he was held until his release without charge earlier this year.