Abu Qatada's real name is Omar Mahmoud Othman. He was born in Bethlehem in 1960 and later moved to Jordan. He came to Britain in 1993 and, like many other fundamentalist ideologues, won political asylum.
Abu Qatada became notorious for writings and sermons justifying the jihad, or "holy war," of organizations such as Algeria's Armed Islamic Group, whose London-based newspaper he edited in the 1990s. Investigators in Europe described him as a "theoretician of jihad," in the words of a French intelligence report in 2000, with ties across the galaxy of Al Qaeda and its allies in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. But he denies allegations of links to terrorist violence.
His release will be a public relations embarrassment. But British officials contend that his influence will be limited. Police will monitor him closely; he will probably be subjected to a 22-hour curfew and a ban on Internet activity and contact with activists.
Moreover, the radical underworld has evolved during his years in custody. New laws and intense surveillance have put firebrand clerics under pressure. As a result, young militants tend to radicalize on the Internet and in small groups at homes, gyms or other meeting places.
"You don't see the clerics striding around anymore with impunity because it is a far more hostile environment," the senior anti-terrorism official said. "There is a shift in radicalization. It's not taking place as much in mosques anymore. . . . That's not where the challenge is now."
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rotella@latimes.com
