WASHINGTON, May 27 (UPI) -- A Muslim cleric has been arrested in London on U.S. terrorism charges, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday in Manhattan.
Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, also known as Abu Hamza, is the former imam of the Finsburgy Park mosque in London.
After the cleric's arrest in London, an 11-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 19 was unsealed in New York.
The indictment charges Mustafa/Hamza with hostage-taking and conspiracy to take hostages, in connection with an attack in Yemen in December 1998 that resulted in the death of four hostages.
The indictment also charges the cleric with providing material support to terrorists, and specifically to al-Qaida, for allegedly attempting to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Ore. The indictment also includes charges of providing material support to terrorists, specifically to al-Qaida and the Taliban.
If convicted, the cleric could face death on each hostage taking charge.
Ashcroft said the United States is actively seeking Mustafa/Hamza's extradition from Britain.
