Ask Nicely

Who'da thought?

After years and years of successive governments trying to get Abu Qatada out of the country his brief - Edward Fitzgerald QC - turns up at a bail hearing to say that his client will go back to Jordan voluntarily after all.

The only condition is that the Jordanian Government has to ratify a new treaty drawn up with the UK Government - which guarantees that any evidence obtained through the use of torture will not be used against Abu Qatada in the Jordanian courts - where he awaits trial on terrorism charges.

Now I'll believe it when I see it, but it;s high time this farcical case was ended for once and all - because the UK Government has been trying to deport this 'hate' cleric for almost eight years - and for much of that time he has in and out of jail.

The courts in the UK have branded Abu Qatada as a truly dangerous man because of his terror links - yet a peculiar interpretation of human rights law seems to have raised Qatada's rights to live in peace and free from terror - above the rights of ordinary UK citizens.

So one way or the other it will be good to see the back of a man - whose legal circus has cost the taxpayer millions of pounds in legal expenses and security related costs.

Abu Qatada is currently in jail again for allegedly breaching his bail conditions which prevented him from using mobile phones and the internet - yet the BBC reports that in a search of the cleric's house in March police found 17 mobiles (six of which were switched on) - and three USB sticks, five digital media devices and 55 recordable CDs or DVDs.

Unsurprisingly, Qatada was arrested soon afterwards - and the BBC further reports that new documents on Qatada's name have been published on Islamist web sites.

Seems like his days are finally numbered.