BRITAIN: The arrest in Italy of a man sought by Britain in connection with the failed July 21st bombings in London may severely test the EU's new speedy arrest warrant, heralded as a key tool to fighting international terrorism, it was claimed today.
The European-wide warrant significantly speeds up the extradition process for suspects wanted in fellow EU nations, giving authorities only 60 days - down from a year - from the date of arrest to decide on requests. An additional month can be granted if there are delays, such as having to wait for necessary documents.
But a lawyer for bombings suspect Osman Hussein, known in Italy as Hamdi Isaac, said that an investigation into the Briton's possible links to terrorism in Italy may hold up his handover to London. "Italian authorities believe there is evidence against him also on Italian territory," lawyer Antonietta Sonnessa said. "They believe there is serious evidence against him, such that he should be held in Italy."
Mr Hussein was arrested on Friday in Rome, shortly after his arrival from Britain, where the Ethiopian-born 27-year-old has lived for nearly a decade. London police accuse him of carrying out the failed July 21st bombing attack at Shepherd's Bush Underground station in west London.
There were no casualties in the botched attack, which took place two weeks after the suicide bombings on July 7th that killed 52 people and four bombers.
Mr Hussein is expected to fight a British request for his extradition, fearing the "emotional tension" in Britain following the two sets of attacks, Ms Sonnessa said.
Carlo de Stefano, chief of Italy's anti-terror police, said the investigation so far indicated that Issac was "part of a loosely knit group rather than a well structured group," and that no evidence has so far linked him to terrorism investigations in Italy.
But Italian news reports said Rome magistrates, who have refused to comment on the timing of his extradition, want to look into possible links to suspected terror activities in Italy.
According to reports, the magistrates also want to look into ties between Mr Hussein and the cell that carried out the July 7th attacks in which an Italian woman was killed.
On Monday, a Rome judge charged Mr Hussein with association with the aim of international terrorism, a charge introduced after the September 11th, 2001, attacks in the United States to step up Italy's fight against terror.
"The fact that a suspect is being investigated in Italy for the same crime is one factor that can block an extradition," said Viviana Bossi, a Milan-based lawyer who dealt recently with another high-profile extradition, involving an Egyptian arrested in Milan and wanted in Spain for his alleged role in last year's Madrid train bombings.
However, Italian police insisted they were co-operating with the magistrates "to speed up, if possible, the extradition process". EU officials say the new arrest warrant is a success so far. The latest EU study in February showed that between January 2004 and last September, the warrant led to the arrests of 653 people and the extradition of 104, with the average extradition time reduced from 270 days to 45.
Italy was the last country to adopt it, in April, after prosecutors complained Italy's delay was hampering anti-terrorism efforts. The biggest blow to the warrant was dealt last month by Germany's highest court, which ruled that the warrant does not comply with German law. A German al-Qaeda suspect was freed.
Other cases are also testing international co-operation in the fight against terrorism, and not just within EU borders.
British officials are seeking the return of a citizen detained in Zambia. Though the foreign office has not released the person's name, it is widely reported to be Haroon Rashid Aswat, who Zambian officials have said was being questioned about 20 phone calls he allegedly made to some of the suspected July 7th suicide bombers.
British officials have said they were pleased with Pakistani co-operation in the July 7th attacks investigation in which three of the suicide bombers were Britons of Pakistani descent.
Today Italian authorities expelled eight Islamic fundamentalist preachers, all of them Palestinians, because they didn't have any papers allowing them to live or work in Italy, ANSA said. - (AP)