UK considers treason law; Aswat taken into custody on arrival

Britain is considering charging Islamist clerics with treason if they incite violence or praise suicide attacks as part of a security crackd...

Britain is considering charging Islamist clerics with treason if they incite violence or praise suicide attacks as part of a security crackdown after the London bombings, a government official said on Monday.

The move, which follows plans for sweeping new anti-terrorism measures announced by Prime Minister Tony Blair last week, sparked criticism from Opposition politicians who argue that the treason laws are outdated and impractical.

Haroon Rashid Aswat, a Briton of Gujarati origin deported from Zambia in connection with last month’s London bombings, was arrested on his arrival here late last night, following an extradition request from the United States.

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Aswat (30), who hails from West Yorkshire, is suspected by the US of involvement in a plot to set up an Al Qaeda training camp in Oregon. He will also be questioned in Britain for his alleged role in last month’s bomb attacks.

Later in the day, three men arrested over failed attempts to bomb Britain’s capital appeared in a high-security courtroom on Monday charged with attempting to murder passengers on London’s transport system.

A judge remanded Ibrahim Muktar Said, Ramzi Mohammed, and Yassin Hassan Omar to custody until November 14.