From the Guardian Unlimited:
ROME (AP) – The London bombing suspect traced to Rome last week by his cell phone calls was charged Monday under Italy’s anti-terrorism laws, his lawyer said, as police described for the first time in detail how they tracked him from Britain to Italy.
Ethiopian-born Hamdi Issac, sought in connection with a failed July 21 attack at the Shepherd’s Bush subway station, was charged by a judge with association with the aim of international terrorism and with possessing false documents, said Antonietta Sonnessa, his lawyer.
Sonnessa said nothing had been decided Monday concerning Britain’s extradition request for Issac. It was not clear if the Italian charges would complicate extradition proceedings; Italian police said Monday that extradition would not take long.
Asked if her client was cooperating with investigators, Sonnessa said: “I wouldn’t say we’re talking about collaboration; he gave his statements.” She said she would appeal the judge’s decision to charge her client.
Police, meanwhile, described in detail how they monitored Issac’s cell phone calls before arresting him and how he had falsified his name and nationality when applying for asylum in Britain.
The suspect, born in Ethiopia as Hamdi Issac, changed his name to Osman Hussain and claimed he was from Somalia when he applied for political asylum, Carlo De Stefano, head of Italy’s anti-terror police, said in the first police briefing since his arrest last Friday.
“He falsely declared he was a Somali citizen to obtain the status of political refugee and economic assistance more easily,” he said…