Qatada Fight Could Last 'Many Months' - May

Abu Qatada could finally be kicked out of Britain thanks to a new treaty agreed with Jordan but it could take "many months", Theresa May has told MPs.

The Home Secretary revealed in a Commons statement that she had secured "fair trial guarantees" for the radical cleric from the Jordanian government.

She declared they gave Britain "every chance" of ejecting the terror suspect, who has dodged deportation for years, once the treaty has been fully ratified.

Qatada has avoided deportation for years

But she warned the terror suspect would not be "on a plane within days" because he could still launch a series of appeals against any new decision.

"Qatada will still have legal appeals available to him, and it will therefore be up to the courts to make the final decision," she said.

"That legal process may well still take many months, but in the meantime I believe Qatada should remain behind bars."

She also confirmed that a temporary withdrawal from the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) was being considered.

"We should have all options, including leaving, on the table," she said. "The Prime Minister is looking at all the options. That is the only sensible thing to do."

Mrs May's language was in stark contrast to her declaration almost exactly a year ago, when she assured MPs Qatada could be leaving "soon".

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Britain was "back to legal square one" as she attacked Mrs May's handling of the case.

"In the past she has overstated the evidence, overstated her legal position, and overstated her legal strategy, which instead has failed," she said.

Mrs May signs the new treaty with Jordan

The statement came 24 hours after Appeal Court judges refused permission for the Home Office to take their fight to the Supreme Court.

Mrs May said the Government would still appeal directly to the UK's highest court to try to overturn the existing ruling that prevents Qatada being sent home to face trial.

But the agreement with Jordan will also allow her to launch a fresh deportation bid, which would restart the legal battle.

By continuing to fight the Government in the British courts - and probably in Europe too - Qatada could string out the process for years.

The Home Secretary hinted at plans for a wider overhaul of human rights laws in Britain to avoid similar cases in the future.

"As any sane observer of this case will conclude, it is absurd for the deportation of a suspected foreign terrorist to take so many years and cost the taxpayer so much money," she said.

Mr Cameron: situation is 'intolerable'

"That is why we need to make sense of our human rights laws, and it's why we need to remove the many layers of appeals available to foreign nationals we want to deport."

Qatada, who featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers, is wanted in Jordan over allegations about a terrorist plot.

Law Lords ruled in favour of deportation in 2009, but European judges later overruled them, warning evidence obtained through torture could be used against him at trial.

Mrs May crucially decided not to appeal and instead worked on securing assurances from Jordan over his treatment.

Last November, immigration judges ruled the assurances were not enough and backed the European decision - a ruling upheld this year by the Court of Appeal.

Qatada has now been living in the UK for 20 years. He was released on bail last year but is currently in Belmarsh Prison after allegedly breaching the conditions.

Police searched his family home in London before he was held and have since said that he is being investigated over extremist material.

David Cameron apparently said at a summit about the case that the current situation makes his "blood boil" and is "intolerable".

Downing Street sources have made clear that the Prime Minister wants to personally "drive" the process to get him out of the country.

Cabinet minister Ken Clarke insisted leaving the ECHR was "not the policy of this Government" and said he was unaware it was being actively looked at.

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