'Hijack trainer' granted bail

The Algerian pilot accused of training the September 11 suicide hijackers today walked free from a British jail.

Lotfi Raissi, 27, held for five months in Belmarsh jail pending extradition to the United States, was freed on bail.

The decision to release him came as prosecutors acting for the US admitted he will not face terrorism charges if he is deported to America.

Prosecutor James Lewis made clear Raissi is still wanted to stand trial in America on charges of falsifying applications for a pilot's licence. But the court backed defence arguments-that he should no longer be held in one of Britain's maximum security prisons.

Prosecutors had said in previous hearings that Raissi was suspected of training the suicide hijackers who crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. However, Raissi's lawyers say prosecutors have failed to present evidence to back up their claim.

Raissi's lawyer Hugo Keith said: "Every objection to bail put up by the US government has turned out to have no foundation."

"Every further day he spends in custody is an affront to justice." Raissi's family would put up £10,000 for his bail, Mr Keith said.

Raissi, who denies any involvement in terrorism, was arrested at his home near Heathrow Airport on 21 September and has been held at high-security Belmarsh Prison ever since.