Abu Qatada, the radical Muslim cleric who was accused of having ties to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, was found not guilty of terrorism charges in Jordan on Wednesday. A state security court acquitted Qatada, 54, of his involvement in a 2000 bomb plot to target Americans, Israelis, and other Western tourists at millennium celebrations. In June, Jordan acquitted Qatada on his other terrorism charge of conspiring to attack an American school in Amman, Jordan. In 1999 and 2000, Jordan convicted Qatada of these charges in abstentia and sentenced him to life in prison. The reversal of his charges came shortly after Qatada condemned ISIS. Jordan is one of the five Arab nations in the U.S.-led coalition of nations launching airstrikes against Syria. Qatada’s lawyer said he is now expected to be freed within the next few hours.
