Al Qaeda offers to free Briton if cleric released

DUBAI, Apr 30: Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has offered to release a kidnapped Briton if Britain frees radical Jordanian preacher Abu Qatada, but it warned against handing the cleric over to his native Jordan, a statement on an Islamist website said today.�The initiative to the British government is to release its citizen Stephen Malcolm, who also has South African nationality, if it deports Abu Qatada to one of the �Arab Spring� countries,� said the statement, which could not be verified.�If Britain ignores this offer it will bear the consequences of handing Abu Qatada to the Jordanian government.�(AGENCIES)