Terror suspect Abu Qatada released from British jail

LONDON (AFP) - British authorities reluctantly released terror suspect Abu Qatada on bail on Tuesday after judges ruled that the radical cleric dubbed Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe should not be extradited to Jordan.

Heavily bearded and wearing a black cap, the Islamist preacher smiled slightly as he was driven out of the high-security Long Lartin prison in central England in the back of a black minibus.

Several hours later, a small group of protesters gathered outside Abu Qatada's house in north-west London and chanted slogans calling for his deportation, as the father-of-five arrived at his modest terraced home.

The court ruling on Monday was a severe blow for the British government, which has kept the preacher in custody for most of the last 10 years and repeatedly tried to send him to Jordan.