'We should have done it ourselves'

The papers wonder why it took US intervention to bring about his arrest

I like this; The Guardian, sister to The Observer, quoting "real newspapers".

Saturday May 29, 2004
The Guardian

Simon Heffer
Daily Mail, May 28

"It has taken the Americans to act to prosecute Abu Hamza for the offences he has committed against their country and citizens, while we seem blithely unconcerned about great harm he has done to us ... It was important that our authorities should move against him, not merely to show that justice would be done, but to send a message to others of the same ilk. It is too late for that now ... The government has shown itself to be cowardly in its resolve to deal with an internal enemy ...

"One fears the last indignity is yet to be played out. It will be the appalling sight of a British prime minister or foreign secretary grovelling to our 'coalition partners' not to put to death a man who has revelled in calling for the deaths of millions of others. And that, like the rest of this dismal tale of cowardice, hypocrisy and stupidity, could - and should - so easily have been avoided."

Times
Editorial, May 28


"Yesterday's announcement begs serious questions about why Britain has been so dilatory in prosecuting Abu Hamza, when it was in possession of some of the same information five years ago ... Britain's incitement laws have meant that Mr Hamza's fiery sermons and open support for the Bali bombings could not be found illegal unless they could be linked to a specificaction ...

"Britain must remain a staunch defender of civil liberties, especially of the vast majority of law-abiding Muslims. But it must also rid itself of the reputation that it has become a haven for suspected terrorists with sharp lawyers. The truth is that we are in uncharted territory. Western law is constantly being made and remade: that is one of its strengths. If the new allegations against Mr Hamza force society to address these issues, that must be a positive development, whether or not he is found guilty. Justice must be seen to be done."

Daily Telegraph
Editorial, May 28


"Now, at last, Mr Hamza has been apprehended, at the specific request of the US ... But the international collaboration seems to have been rather weak on a critical point of law. During his press conference, [the US attorney general] John Ashcroft specifically pointed out that Mr Hamza would face the death penalty if convicted. His statement could have disastrous consequences for the extradition procedure. British and European law categorically rules out extraditing any accused person whose conviction might result in the death penalty. Home Office spokesmen were anxiously insisting late [on Thursday] that they expected little difficulty in getting the necessary assurance from the American authorities that the death penalty would be ruled out in this case.

"But the publicly funded human rights lawyers who are likely to be available to support Mr Hamza's fight through the courts will no doubt make much of Mr Ashcroft's unguarded words. Legal appeals against [Mr Hamza's] removal from Britain are likely to stretch far into the future. We are not rid of him yet."

Daily Mirror
Editorial, May 28


"Mr Hamza does not deserve to live in this country and enjoy its great privileges. He is contemptuous of the nation which has been home to him for half a century ... Now the Americans want us to deport him ... They have agreed he would not face the death penalty, so there can be no real obstacle to his removal from Britain ... In the past it might be said that those who preached hatred were only harmless eccentrics. That can't be claimed today when we have seen what fanatical terrorists are capable of doing. Britain will be better off when he's gone."

Sun
Editorial, May 28


"The sooner Captain Hook is off British soil, the better. Abu Hamza has been a disgusting stain on this country for too long.

"The Sun, which has led the campaign to have the fanatic kicked out, is today delighted that he will now face justice. The long list of charges against him in the US is a shocking catalogue which, if proved, should see him behind bars until the day he dies ... But what an indictment of our own legal system that we had to rely on America to rid us of this pestilent priest ... Thank God the Americans are our allies and have got us out of the terrible mess we were in over Mr Hamza.

"It makes you wonder how many more dangerous men could be walking the streets of Britain like Mr Hamza was. We must stop giving succour to the enemy within so we can win the war on terror."

Daily Star
Editorial, May 28

"Hook-handed, one-eyed Abu Hamza is behind bars. For legal reasons we can't say much, so we will keep our comments brief: fantastic! But how come he's been arrested on a US warrant? It's not as if he hasn't been causing mayhem here. He has actively campaigned for the complete destruction of the west. His rights to British citizenship stem from a bogus marriage. Mr Hamza has been closely monitored by Scotland Yard and MI5. It's extraordinary they've been unable to come up with evidence for any charges. There's a suspicion they've failed to act for fear of upsetting the Muslim community. But the vast majority of Muslims will welcome his arrest. We really should have banged this man up ourselves."