UK to request extradition of suspected bomber from Italy

Britain is set to deliver a formal request for Italy to extradite one of the men suspected of an aborted bombing of London's transportation system on July 21, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported Monday.

Italian judges will have two months to decide whether to hand over Osman Hussain, who was arrested in Rome on Friday, to the British authorities.

Italian police arrested Hussain with a European arrest warrant, one day after the legislation was introduced in the country.

The 27-year-old is the first case in which Italy has been asked to hand over a terrorist suspect to another EU country under the new rules.

Hussain, also known as Hamdi Isaac, who was born in Ethiopia but has a British passport, is suspected of trying to blow up a train near Shepherd's Bush station in west London on July 21.

Police believe he had left London aboard a Eurostar train on July 26, traveling to Paris and Milan before arriving in Rome.

Former British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Sunday that government officials were to investigate how Hussain was able to leave Britain after the attacks.

According to him, extra passport checks for those leaving the country were being considered.

The lawyer representing Hussain, however, said he would fight the extradition bid.

Meanwhile, police in Britain are maintaining a high-profile security operation in fear of further attacks while focusing on finding those behind the July 7 and 21 bombings.

Source: Xinhua