"RADICAL" BRITISH CLERIC CALLS FOR MURDER OF JEWS

Al-Masri charged for incitement to murder
British authorities on Tuesday charged radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri with urging followers to kill non-Muslims and other offenses in a 16-count indictment that pre-empts a U.S. extradition bid. Al-Masri appeared at Belmarsh Magistrates Court, where prosecutors read out the charges, only one of which fell under anti-terror legislation. The others fell under ordinary criminal law.

He also faces 11 terrorist charges in the United States, but Judge Timothy Workman granted a request from a lawyer representing the United States to suspend the extradition case until the British case was completed. Al-Masri did not apply for bail. He faced a preliminary hearing at the Central Criminal Court on Oct. 26.

The British indictment includes 10 charges of soliciting or encouraging people to murder a person or people who did not believe in the Islamic faith. Prosecutors said the incitement to murder was contained in speeches recorded on tape to be used as evidence. Four of the 10 charges specify that al-Masri urged the killing of Jews.