Focus: The Bin Laden connection: Britain's most wanted: He is a Muslim cleric being hunted for terrorist attacks accross Europe. So how was Abu Qatada allowed to disappear in Britain?: Special report by Paul Harris, Anthony Barnett, Burham Wazir and Kate Connolly in Berlin

• Published in: The Observer (London)
• Main Author: Paul Harris, Anthony Barnett, Burham Wazir and Kate Connolly
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: London (UK) Guardian News & Media Limited 05.05.2002
• Subjects: Connolly, Kate; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0029-7712

The police are not the only ones who are confused. Rumours are starting to circulate that the manhunt for Qatada is not what it seems. In the tight-knit world of Britain's fundamentalist Islamic groups it is being whispered that Qatada may have changed sides. He might now be working with MI5, revealing the identities of terrorist cells across Europe n cells that he helped to create. If so, it would be a huge coup for Britain's embattled intelligence services. If not, it represents a major failing in the eWar on Terror'. If a man such as Qatada can hide so effectively in Britain, how can we expect to find bin Laden in the mountains of Afghanistan? As one Islamic exile put it: eThis is the United Kingdom, not Tora Bora. Why is he still free?' It was just hours before new laws in Britain came into force that would have allowed police to pick up and intern a long list of terrorist suspects. Qatada's name was at the top of it. Neighbours saw him load his pregnant wife and four children into their people carrier and drive off. His family still live in the house but Qatada has not been seen since. It is a litany of infamy. And Qatada denies every word of it. He has denied ever having met bin Laden, despite intelligence reports stating the two held talks in Pakistan in 1989. Qatada says he is being persecuted for his views and has met hundreds of people at his prayer group. He says he cannot remember meeting men such as Beghal. Born in Bethlehem, Qatada, has claimed he is nothing more than a refugee holy man, fleeing persecution in [Jordan]. Qatada was unwilling to try his luck with Western justice. Since his disappearance, he has only emerged into public view once, on 11 January, to leave a voice message on an internet site used by his supporters. It stated simply: eI'm safe, but just don't ask too much about me.' And with that, he was gone again.