MEPs inquiry into 'extraordinary rendition' comes to Britain
I nearly missed this. Following the Council of Europe investigation which found that the UK was one of 14 European countries which colluded in an unlawful "spider's web" of secret CIA flights, a seperate inquiry by MEPs has come to Britain to take evidence from MPs and other people who might have knowledge of CIA torture flights.
The delegation is also due to meet Europe Minister Geoff Hoon and government officials.
Whitehall denies there is evidence that prisoners are flown through Britain.
Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford is heading the delegation holding the questions session in London.
Among their witnesses will be the Labour chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Mike Gapes, the Conservative chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on extraordinary rendition, Andrew Tyrie, and Tory member of the Intelligence and Security Committee member Michael Ancram.
They will also meet officials from the Home Office, Ministry of Defence and the Department for Transport.
The MEPS are due to report on the results of their investigation early next year.
So I wonder if the Ministers giving evidence will tell the inquiry the same stories they told us previously now that Bush has admitted that 'Black Sites' exist and 'extraordinary rendition' takes place. Let's just remind ourselves again about the sort of stuff we were told by the Government. Perhaps they might stay on-message with Bush and just try to justify it.
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See comment below
If we can only find out
If we can only find out where the CIA has been stashing all these people, perhaps Dr Reid can rent space for our burgeoning population of offenders, the Uk's newest growth industry?
>Whitehall denies there is
>Whitehall denies there is evidence that prisoners are flown through Britain.<
If by "Whitehall" is meant "the civil service", they are exposing themselves to an FOI disclosure, unlikely. If on the other hand "whitehall" means "government sources", then on this government's record it's as good as admitting it happened.
Enormously reassuring. Shall
Enormously reassuring. Shall park that next to my pile of 15-minute ready WMDs, conflict-free Afghanistan missions, etc. Santa Claus, anyone?
"If we can only find out
"If we can only find out where the CIA has been stashing all these people"
Perhaps it's here. It would explain the inexorable rise in our prison population. I'd love to hear Doc Reid explain that away...