London, Aug 13 (ANI): A suspected terrorist has been granted bail in Britain after he claimed in black and white that he had changed his mind on terrorism.
The Algerian, who can be identified only as "U", was detained in 2001 after arriving in Britain from Afghanistan in 1999.
"U" has been officially classified as an "active terrorist head of a group of individuals in the UK with an international reach", and MI5 believe that he had direct links to killed al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden and other terrorists who had planned to bomb Strasbourg Cathedral in France and Los Angeles Airport.
British lawmakers have termed the decision as "insane", while a terror expert called it "worrying".
"This insane decision shows our courts have turned to mush," Tory MP Douglas Carswell said, while terrorism expert Neil Doyle added: "It is very worrying."
Britain wants to deport him to Algeria, where he could be jailed over fears that he could prove to be danger here. He is appealing to the Supreme Court against the move.
His lawyers applied for his release on bail to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.
Justice Mitting, the judge in his case, said "U" had produced a written statement in which he "signalled a change of heart", The Sun reports.
"I am conscious, of course, that it may all be for show. But if it is for show, it has been the work of a highly-skilled actor. What he says in his statement is that he wished to have the chance to show 'how I and my world views have changed. I have seen the chaos and suffering caused by war and violence and want to see another way'," he added. (ANI)