One of the Islamic extremists who faces possible treason charges over support for the London bombers says he plans to return to Britain.
Omar Bakri Mohammed, the spiritual leader of the al-Muhajiroun group - which is to be banned under anti-terror laws unveiled by Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday - said he will return to London in four weeks.
Mr Bakri is in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, having left London on Saturday after it emerged he would face possible treason charges over his alleged support for the London bombings.
He told BBC he had travelled to Lebanon of his own free will to visit family but planned to return in four weeks. "I am going to return back in four weeks unless the government says we are not welcome, because my family is in the UK.
"I left by my own passport. I do not think I will have any problem returning back to the UK but I do not want the government to use the presence of Omar Bakri to change the rules."
He said he believed the government was using him to put pressure on the Muslim community.
Mr Bakri denied calling the July 7th bombers the "fantastic four" and said he condemned the atrocity. "I never, ever spoke about the bombings in London. Fantastic Fouris a film, nothing to do with the bombings. I never, ever talked about the bombings except to condemn the killing of innocent people."
The cleric said last week he said he would not inform police if he knew Muslims were planning a bomb attack on a train in the United Kingdom, and supported Muslims who attacked British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
PA