Terror suspect facing extradition

Mr Al-Siri was cleared of plotting to kill General Massoud

A London publisher is due in court to face demands from the US for his extradition.

Yasser Al-Siri, 39, had four British anti-terror charges against him - including conspiracy to murder - dropped on Thursday.

But he was re-arrested on the extradition warrant and ordered to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court in London.

The US warrant accuses him of providing money to a member of Al-Qaeda, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, knowing it was likely to be used for purposes of terrorism against the US.

A spokesman for the US Embassy in London confirmed that Mr Al-Siri was wanted for "terrorist-related" offences.

Assassination plot

On Thursday Mr Al-Siri was released on conditional bail at the Old Bailey after four of five UK charges against him were dismissed.

He is due back before the Old Bailey at a later date, where his lawyers will apply for the fifth charge to be dropped.

That charge alleges that he published anti-Jewish text which incited racial hatred.

He had been accused of plotting to kill General Massoud, an anti-Taleban Afghan commander, who was assassinated on 9 September last year.

'Fall guy'

The court heard Mr Al-Siri had provided letters of accreditation for two Arab men posing as TV journalists, to make a film in Afghanistan.

The two men, Karim Touzani and Kacem Bekkali, were suicide bombers who used the letters to trick their way in to blow up General Massoud.

Mr Al-Siri's lawyers said there was not enough evidence to prove that he knew what the men had intended to do, or that he was involved in the murder plot.

The judge agreed Mr Al-Siri had been used as "an innocent fall guy" by the assassins.

Bookshop

Mr Al-Siri runs the Islamic Observation Centre (IOC) book shop and publication business in Paddington, west London.

He says it is a human rights organisation, but critics claim it is a mouthpiece for the banned Al-Gamm'a Al-Islamiyya organisation, which calls for the overthrow of the Egyptian government.

Mr Al-Siri, who lives with his family in nearby Maida Vale, has been in England for eight years.

General Ahmed Shah Massoud was commander of the Northern Alliance troops when he was killed just before the 11 September terrorist attacks on America.