 Reuters Terror suspect Abu Hamza al-Masri leads prayer at the North London Mosque at Finsbury Park in Feb.2003. By Kari Huus, NBC News An extremist preacher and four other men accused of terrorism by the U.S government arrived in New York overnight after they lost a years-long battle to remain in the United Kingdom. Two of them later appeared before a federal court. The preacher, Abu Hamza al-Masri, is charged in connection with the abduction of 16 people, including two American tourists, in Yemen in 1998; conspiring to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Ore., in 1999; and supporting violent jihad in Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001. In a final appeal to avert extradition, lawyers for the 54-year-old argued he could not travel because of poor health. The Egyptian-born British citizen has one eye and hooks in place of hands he claims to have lost fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. Lawyers said he suffers from depression, chronic sleep deprivation, diabetes and other ailments. He was taken to a lockup next to the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, The Associated Press reported. Separately, Egyptian Adel Abdel Bary, 52 and Saudi Khaled al Fawwaz, 50, are charged with conspiring with al-Qaida to kill Americans and attack U.S. interests abroad. Bary is also charged with murder, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and other offenses in connection with the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people and injured thousands more. Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, called the extradition "a watershed moment in our nation's efforts to eradicate terrorism." "As is charged, these are men who were at the nerve centers of al-Qaida's acts of terror, and they caused blood to be shed, lives to be lost, and families to be shattered," Bharara said, The extradition "makes good on a promise to the American people to use every available diplomatic, legal, and administrative tool to pursue and prosecute charged terrorists no matter how long it takes." Radical Islamist cleric Abu Hamza fought extradition for eight years, but has lost his final appeal and will be sent from the United Kingdom to the United States with four others to face terror charges. Paraic O'Brien, Channel Four Europe reports. The three men were expected to appear in court later on Saturday. Two others — Syed Talha Ahsan, 33, and Babar Ahmad, 38 — pleaded not guilty in a federal court in New Haven, Conn., just hours after their arrival in America, AP said. Profiles of terror suspects extradited from UK to face trials They were jailed until trial, and their lawyers declined to comment. Authorities say the men are charged in Connecticut because an Internet service provider there was used to run websites that sought to raise cash, recruit fighters and seek equipment for terrorists, including al-Qaida members. The men have been battling extradition for between eight and 14 years. On Friday, Britain's High Court ruled that the men had no more grounds for appeal and could be sent to the U.S. immediately. British Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the deportation. "Like the rest of the public I'm sick to the back teeth of people who come here, threaten our country, who stay at vast expense to the taxpayer and we can't get rid of them," he said, according to The Guardian. "I'm delighted on this occasion we've managed to send this person off to a country where he will face justice." The Associated Press contributed to this report. More world stories from NBC News:
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10/06/2012
Abu Hamza, 4 others tied to al-Qaida arrive in US to face terrorism charges
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