DUBAI, April 30 (Reuters) – Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
has offered to release a kidnapped Briton if Britain frees
radical Jordanian preacher Abu Qatada, but it warned against
handing the cleric over to his native Jordan, a statement on an
Islamist website said on Monday.
“The initiative to the British government is to release its
citizen Stephen Malcolm, who also has South African nationality,
if it deports Abu Qatada to one of the ‘Arab Spring’ countries,”
said the statement, which could not be verified.
“If Britain ignores this offer it will bear the consequences
of handing Abu Qatada to the Jordanian government.”
(Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Paul Simao)
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