THE man intelligence experts believe may be the "missing link" between the London suicide bombers and the al-Qaeda network is set to be extradited to Britain from Pakistan. The government yesterday revealed that British and Pakistani diplomats are on the verge of signing the countries' first ever extradition treaty. Zeeshan Siddiqui, 25, a British national who was arrested in Pakistan in May, is expected to be among the first to face extradition. Another six detainees, mostly Pakistani nationals, might also face extradition.The Home Office yesterday said negotiations on the treaty were in their "final stages". As well as possibly connecting the four British suicide bombers to Osama bin Laden's terror group, Siddiqui might form a link between the men and at least two other plots to bomb British targets. It is believed that Siddiqui met at least one of the London bombers in Pakistan last year. He is also thought to have been at a terror "summit" in western Pakistan last year attended by Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi, who is said to be an envoy for bin Laden. A security source yesterday told The Scotsman that Siddiqui is "definitely of interest" to Scotland Yard and MI5 investigators.
The ability to extradite suspects from Pakistan is expected to prove "very positive" for the 7 July inquiry, the source said. Attention is being focused on how the four bombers came to conceive and execute the attacks that killed 56 people. Investigators have discounted suggestions of a "fifth man" or mastermind who led the attacks, believing instead that one of the bombers, Mohammed Sidique Khan, effectively led the operation. But there remains an intensive search for the people who inspired and "radicalised" the bombers. That inquiry is increasingly concentrated on Pakistan. At least three of the four bombers visited Pakistan in the months before the London attacks.