The British government has indicated it wants to process an US extradition request for radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri as soon as possible.
Abu Hamza, an admirer of Osama bin Laden, was remanded in custody yesterday, charged by the United States with aiding terrorists by plotting to set up an al-Qaeda camp in the United States and supporting a hostage-taking in Yemen.
"I want to see if we can get the extradition request speeded through," Home Secretary David Blunkett told BBC Radio this morning.
British security services had been monitoring the cleric's activities for several years but Mr Blunkett said Britain did not have evidence against him that was admissible in court. "Had we evidence in this country of a crime here then of course the police and the attorney general would have taken action."
Britain will be keen to avoid a repeat of the protracted extradition process brought by Spain against former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet in 1998. Pinochet was held in London on charges of torture and murder but the extradition eventually failed.
Abu Hamza's lawyers could mount a series of appeals against his extradition, drawing out the proceedings.
In the United States, he could face the death penalty for hostage-taking, but Britain, which abolished capital punishment 35 years ago, will only extradite him if it receives written assurances that the death penalty will not be imposed.
If convicted, Abu Hamza faces up to 100 years in jail. He will appear in court again in Britain on July 23.