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January 25, 2006
Rendition - Old News Worthy of Investigation
At least the Europeans seem to be taking an interest in investigating CIA rendition activities.
BBC - Europe 'knew about' CIA Flights
European governments were almost certainly aware of the CIA's secret prisoner flights via European airspace or airports, a key report has said.
"Acts of torture or severe violation of detainees' dignity through the administration of inhuman or degrading treatment are carried out outside national territory, and beyond the authority of national intelligence services...
"It is highly unlikely that European governments, or at least their intelligence services, were unaware," the report said.
So, given that there is a high profile issue regarding rendition flights, sovereignty and what the intelligence services may, or may not, be telling national governments, surely there is a great need to investigate matters at a national level?
Not in the U.K. there isn't, according to an article at ePolitix:
So no need to investigate any related matters then I suppose. Such as how ministers were misled by the Foreign Office?
The Belfast Telegraph - Minister admits misleading peers over rendition
In a written reply to a question from to Liberal Democrat Lord Oakeshott, Lord Triesman explained why he told peers that Foreign Office officials had not held talks with the UN on the alleged use of British airports for secret CIA flights, before admitting that a meeting had taken place.
Once again Blair tries the "There's nothing to see here. Move along." approach to covering up the failings of his government. Well regardless of whether the news is old or new, it is worthy of investigation.
UPDATE - 12:25
Excellent information available at the New Statesman
An honest answer from Howells might have looked like this: "The government has no idea whether renditions have taken place in the past few years and nor do we know whether any requests have been made for British co-operation. If they have they are almost certainly illegal, but we have decided to back the US government anyway because it has promised that it would not allow anyone to be tortured - though it doesn't mind a bit of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment."
Also from the same source:
Irfan Siddig's memo from December 2005
(Links courtesy of Bloggerheads)
Posted by Clive on January 25, 2006 11:45 AM in the category Terror