Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — Al Qaida’s network in North Africa has demanded a
leading Islamic preacher held in Britain.

Al Qaida Organization in the Islamic Maghreb has demanded the release of
Omar Mahmoud Othman, known as Abu Qatada.

AQIM said it was ready to release a British hostage if London facilitated the transfer of Abu Qatada to the country of his choice.

“[AQIM] has followed Abu Qatada’s case for years,” AQIM said in a
statement on April 29.

The 52-year-old Abu Qatada, born in Bethlehem, was believed to have
served as a leading guide for Al Qaida. He fled Jordan for Britain in 1993 and has since been wanted in connection with a bombing plot in the Hashemite kingdom. British authorities have been trying to deport Abu Qatada for a decade.

“Britain will open the door of evil unto its country and citizens should
it extradite him to Jordan,” AQIM said.

AQIM has reported holding several Westerners. The offer called for the freedom of Stephen Malcolm, who also holds South African nationality, captured in Mali in November 2011.

“The group [AQIM] said that it will release Stephen Malcolm, who has
dual British and South African nationality, if Britain will extradite Abu
Qatada to a country involved in the Arab Spring or to any country he
chooses,” the U.S. monitoring service SITE said on April 29.

AQIM has also renewed operations in Algeria. On April 30, at least four
Algerian security officers were killed in an ambush believed to have been
conducted by AQIM fighters in the province of Tizi Ouzou.

  Al Qaida calls on British to release militant cleric, Al Qaida offers Brits swap for release of militant cleric, Al Qaida Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM operations in Algeria, Omar Mahmoud Othman aka Abu Qatada, Stephen Malcolm captured in Mali