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Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie attacked Gordon Brown for failing to
condemn "extraordinary rendition" - a policy he said was now "being
vigorously condemned by many in Washington, both Republican and
Democrat".
"This is the price the prime minister of Britain is paying for
remaining so wedded to the policy he has inherited of 'hugging the
Americans'[Bush Administration] close'," added Mr Tyrie, who co-
founded an all-party group on rendition and gave evidence to the
committee.
= = =
US 'ignored' UK rendition protest
British concerns did not appear to "materially" affect US actions in
its "war on terror", the UK's intelligence and security committee has
said.
The committee, which reports to the prime minister, was probing
possible UK involvement in rendition flights.
It said America's "lack of regard" for UK concerns had "serious
implications" for future intelligence relations.
In response, the UK government said the countries' intelligence
relationship was "close" and "must continue".
The committee said it had found no evidence that the UK was directly
involved in rendition flights - the transportation of terror suspects
to foreign prisons where they could face torture.
But Britain's security services had "inadvertently" helped in one case
after the US ignored caveats placed on supplied information.
'Fundamental liberty'
It said ministerial approval should be required in future in such
cases and a complete ban placed on approvals for renditions which
could lead to suspects being held in secret prisons.
The committee also levelled criticism at the government over
inadequate record-keeping.
Committee chairman, former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy,
said: "Our inquiry has not been helped by the fact that government
departments have had such difficulty in establishing the facts from
their own records in relation to requests to conduct renditions
through UK airspace.
"This is a matter of fundamental liberty, and we recommend that the
government ensure that proper searchable records are kept in the
future."
'Strong protests'
The cross-party committee said "routine" evidence sharing in the case
of two British residents in Ghana in 2002 "indirectly and
inadvertently" led to their rendition.
Bisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna were flown by the CIA first to
Afghanistan and then Guantanamo Bay, where el-Banna is still being
held.
The committee said the UK services "used caveats specifically
prohibiting any action being taken" when they handed over the
intelligence on the men.
It says the UK security services did not foresee that the US
authorities would disregard the caveats, given that they had honoured
the caveat system for the past 20 years.
"This case shows a lack of regard on the part of the US for UK
concerns - despite strong protests - and that has serious implications
for the intelligence relationship," the report concluded.
"In fighting international terrorism it is clear that the US will take
whatever action it deems is necessary, within US law, to protect its
national security," it said.
"Although the US may take note of UK protests and concerns, it does
not appear materially to affect their strategy; the rendition
programme has revealed aspects of this usually close relationship that
are surprising and concerning," the report warned.
'Tough talk'
The committee also criticised the UK security services for failing to
react quickly enough to the change in American approach and start to
use "greater caution".
It said British intelligence had been briefed in November 2001 about
new powers enabling the US authorities to arrest and detain suspected
terrorists worldwide.
But officers were "sceptical about the supposed new powers because at
the time there was a great deal of 'tough talk' being used at many
levels of the US administration," the report says.
The report says British intelligence officers "should have noted the
significance of these events and reported them to ministers".
Procedures had now been tightened and provided a "reasonable level of
confidence" in most cases, the committee concluded.
'Torture risk'
But it recommended two further changes to strengthen safeguards.
"First, where despite the use of caveats and assurances there remains
a real possibility that sharing intelligence with foreign liaison
services might result in torture or mistreatment...we recommend that
ministerial approval should be sought in all such cases.
"Secondly, the Committee considers that 'secret detention', without
legal or other representation, is of itself mistreatment.
"Therefore, where there is a real possibility of 'Rendition to
Detention' to a secret facility, even if it would be for a limited
time, we consider that approval must never be given."
[Let's get this straight: they (rightly) want to never approve
cooperation where
there is a real possibility of "rendition to detention at a secret
facility, but
they do not rule our cooperation where there is an equally real danger
of torture:
so long as a minister approves it, and so long as it's a non-secret
detention,
torture is not ruled out. So much foand such are some of its fig
leaves -ED]
The British government said the report supported its own "repeated
assurance that there is no evidence to suggest that renditions have
been conducted through the UK without our permission, or in
contravention of our obligations under domestic and international
law".
The government also stressed the "importance of the UK's international
intelligence relationships, particularly with the United States, in
countering the threat from international terrorism", a reality that
the Committee itself acknowledges.
The government also said that British intelligence staff did inform
ministers of exchanges with US counterparts in November 2001 about the
US plans to arrest and detain suspected terrorist suspects worldwide.
Inquiry call
Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie attacked Gordon Brown for failing to
condemn "extraordinary rendition" - a policy he said was now "being
vigorously condemned by many in Washington, both Republican and
Democrat".
"This is the price the prime minister of Britain is paying for
remaining so wedded to the policy he has inherited of 'hugging the
Americans close'," added Mr Tyrie, who co-founded an all-party group
on rendition and gave evidence to the committee.
Amnesty International said it welcomed the report's acknowledgement
that secret detention amounts to 'mistreatment' and that the UK "must
never give approval to measures leading to it".
UK campaigns director Tim Hancock said: "Rendition is the fast track
to Guantanamo and we need to see the government unequivocally
condemning all renditions and secret detentions.
"Gordon Brown's government should now allow a fully independent
inquiry into rendition and also immediately call for all UK residents
at Guantanamo to be [either] properly tried or released and returned
to the UK."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6915652.stm
Published: 2007/07/25 15:55:14 GMT
condemn "extraordinary rendition" - a policy he said was now "being
vigorously condemned by many in Washington, both Republican and
Democrat".
"This is the price the prime minister of Britain is paying for
remaining so wedded to the policy he has inherited of 'hugging the
Americans'[Bush Administration] close'," added Mr Tyrie, who co-
founded an all-party group on rendition and gave evidence to the
committee.
= = =
US 'ignored' UK rendition protest
British concerns did not appear to "materially" affect US actions in
its "war on terror", the UK's intelligence and security committee has
said.
The committee, which reports to the prime minister, was probing
possible UK involvement in rendition flights.
It said America's "lack of regard" for UK concerns had "serious
implications" for future intelligence relations.
In response, the UK government said the countries' intelligence
relationship was "close" and "must continue".
The committee said it had found no evidence that the UK was directly
involved in rendition flights - the transportation of terror suspects
to foreign prisons where they could face torture.
But Britain's security services had "inadvertently" helped in one case
after the US ignored caveats placed on supplied information.
'Fundamental liberty'
It said ministerial approval should be required in future in such
cases and a complete ban placed on approvals for renditions which
could lead to suspects being held in secret prisons.
The committee also levelled criticism at the government over
inadequate record-keeping.
Committee chairman, former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy,
said: "Our inquiry has not been helped by the fact that government
departments have had such difficulty in establishing the facts from
their own records in relation to requests to conduct renditions
through UK airspace.
"This is a matter of fundamental liberty, and we recommend that the
government ensure that proper searchable records are kept in the
future."
'Strong protests'
The cross-party committee said "routine" evidence sharing in the case
of two British residents in Ghana in 2002 "indirectly and
inadvertently" led to their rendition.
Bisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna were flown by the CIA first to
Afghanistan and then Guantanamo Bay, where el-Banna is still being
held.
The committee said the UK services "used caveats specifically
prohibiting any action being taken" when they handed over the
intelligence on the men.
It says the UK security services did not foresee that the US
authorities would disregard the caveats, given that they had honoured
the caveat system for the past 20 years.
"This case shows a lack of regard on the part of the US for UK
concerns - despite strong protests - and that has serious implications
for the intelligence relationship," the report concluded.
"In fighting international terrorism it is clear that the US will take
whatever action it deems is necessary, within US law, to protect its
national security," it said.
"Although the US may take note of UK protests and concerns, it does
not appear materially to affect their strategy; the rendition
programme has revealed aspects of this usually close relationship that
are surprising and concerning," the report warned.
'Tough talk'
The committee also criticised the UK security services for failing to
react quickly enough to the change in American approach and start to
use "greater caution".
It said British intelligence had been briefed in November 2001 about
new powers enabling the US authorities to arrest and detain suspected
terrorists worldwide.
But officers were "sceptical about the supposed new powers because at
the time there was a great deal of 'tough talk' being used at many
levels of the US administration," the report says.
The report says British intelligence officers "should have noted the
significance of these events and reported them to ministers".
Procedures had now been tightened and provided a "reasonable level of
confidence" in most cases, the committee concluded.
'Torture risk'
But it recommended two further changes to strengthen safeguards.
"First, where despite the use of caveats and assurances there remains
a real possibility that sharing intelligence with foreign liaison
services might result in torture or mistreatment...we recommend that
ministerial approval should be sought in all such cases.
"Secondly, the Committee considers that 'secret detention', without
legal or other representation, is of itself mistreatment.
"Therefore, where there is a real possibility of 'Rendition to
Detention' to a secret facility, even if it would be for a limited
time, we consider that approval must never be given."
[Let's get this straight: they (rightly) want to never approve
cooperation where
there is a real possibility of "rendition to detention at a secret
facility, but
they do not rule our cooperation where there is an equally real danger
of torture:
so long as a minister approves it, and so long as it's a non-secret
detention,
torture is not ruled out. So much foand such are some of its fig
leaves -ED]
The British government said the report supported its own "repeated
assurance that there is no evidence to suggest that renditions have
been conducted through the UK without our permission, or in
contravention of our obligations under domestic and international
law".
The government also stressed the "importance of the UK's international
intelligence relationships, particularly with the United States, in
countering the threat from international terrorism", a reality that
the Committee itself acknowledges.
The government also said that British intelligence staff did inform
ministers of exchanges with US counterparts in November 2001 about the
US plans to arrest and detain suspected terrorist suspects worldwide.
Inquiry call
Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie attacked Gordon Brown for failing to
condemn "extraordinary rendition" - a policy he said was now "being
vigorously condemned by many in Washington, both Republican and
Democrat".
"This is the price the prime minister of Britain is paying for
remaining so wedded to the policy he has inherited of 'hugging the
Americans close'," added Mr Tyrie, who co-founded an all-party group
on rendition and gave evidence to the committee.
Amnesty International said it welcomed the report's acknowledgement
that secret detention amounts to 'mistreatment' and that the UK "must
never give approval to measures leading to it".
UK campaigns director Tim Hancock said: "Rendition is the fast track
to Guantanamo and we need to see the government unequivocally
condemning all renditions and secret detentions.
"Gordon Brown's government should now allow a fully independent
inquiry into rendition and also immediately call for all UK residents
at Guantanamo to be [either] properly tried or released and returned
to the UK."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6915652.stm
Published: 2007/07/25 15:55:14 GMT
