EU report to slam British record on extraordinary rendition flights (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

EU report to slam British record on extraordinary rendition flights

February 14, 2007 12:39 PM

A CIA jet

A report which criticises 14 European governments, including the UK and claims they turned a blind eye to CIA flights used to transport terror suspects, is expected to face a close vote in the European Parliament. The report says the CIA operated "at least" 1,245 flights in European airspace or stopped over at European airports. Some, but not all it says, were used for extraordinary renditions.

One of the most outspoken MEPs on the committee, British Liberal Democrat Baroness Sarah Ludford, says they examined documents, including flight logs, "and some which, frankly, came to us in brown paper envelopes". She said: "We believe there has been either active collusion by several EU governments, or turning a blind eye."

The report is especially critical of Italy, Britain and Germany. In the case of Britain, it "deplores" the manner in which the UK government co-operated with the committee. It condemns the extraordinary renditions of one British citizen and three British residents. Two of them, it says, were tortured; two are still held at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay. It is also "outraged" by a legal opinion from a Foreign Office adviser, who said "receiving or possessing" information extracted under torture, in so far as there is no direct participation in torture, does not violate a UN convention.