Terror suspects 'will be extradited'

The men are wanted in connection with the 1998 US embassy bombings

Three men wanted in the United States on charges of conspiring with Osama bin Laden in terror attacks have failed in their House of Lords bid to block their extradition.

London-based Saudi businessman Khalid al Fawwaz, 37, and Egyptians Ibrahim Eidarous, 39, and Adel Abdel Bary, 42, were all arrested more than two years ago on international warrants.

They are wanted in America in connection with the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in which 213 people died.

Their lawyers claimed the English courts had no power in law to extradite them because of lack of evidence and because the alleged offences were not committed within the US.

International crime

But five law lords dismissed their last-ditch appeals against High Court rulings that they were being lawfully held at Brixton Prison to await extradition.

The ruling will be seen as a boost to the fight against international crime.

The High Court had ruled that jurisdiction was limited to the territory of the state but the law lords said the High Court was "in error".

Ibrahim Eidarous arrives at court

The extradition agreement between the UK and the US did not require that it was necessary to prove overt terrorist acts had been committed within US territory.

Lord Slynn of Hadley, sitting with Lord Hutton, Lord Millett, Lord Scott of Foscote and Lord Rodger of Earslferry, said the US jurisdiction should not be limited in that way because of the nature of modern crime.

Lord Slynn added: "Drug smuggling, money laundering, the abduction of children, acts of terrorism, would to a considerable extent be excluded from the extradition process.

"It is essential that this process be available to them. To ignore modern methods of communication and travel as aids to criminal activities is unreal."