Terror police arrest Hamza

Controversial Muslim cleric Abu Hamza was arrested by police in a pre-dawn raid today.

Officers from Scotland Yard's extradition squad went to his home in west London at 3am, backed by armed officers and anti-terrorist branch detectives. Hamza was arrested and taken to a central London police station.

He was due to appear under tight security before magistrates at Belmarsh prison's special courtroom this afternoon for the first of what could be many extradition hearings. Scotland Yard did not name the cleric but said a 47-year-old British citizen had been arrested following a US request for his extradition.

A senior Yard source said: "It was a smooth operation." There were no other arrests. Police refused to give details of the extradition warrant except to say that it referred to "assistance in terrorist-related matters in the United States".

However, the US wants to question Hamza over links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

The warrant is believed to allege that Egyptian-born Hamza, who is regarded by US intelligence as a key member of al Qaeda's European cell, conspired to set up a terrorist training camp and recruited young men to fight for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Senior American counter-terrorismofficers have spent recent months shuttling back and forth between London and Washington to discuss the moves.

Lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service have also been closely involved in the wording of the document.

A federal grand jury has been meeting in secret in New York to hear evidence against Hamza.

He is likely to fight the extradition bid and attempt to drag out the proceedings for months. He is also likely to seek legal aid for his defence in any court battle.

Scotland Yard recently launched an investigation into Hamza over the content of cassette tapes containinghis views which were distributedto followers via fringe meetings and the internet. The tapes featured calls for suicide attacks "on your own doorstep".

In the past year Hamza, who has eight children and who came to Britain in 1981, has also been fighting an attempt by Home Secretary David Blunkett to remove his citizenship.

The Finsbury Park mosque where he used to preach was closed down in January last year after it became clear that it had been used by al Qaeda fanatics, including shoebomber Richard Reid and the socalled twentieth 11 September hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui.