Blair under pressure to reveal more on CIA rendition
By Lisbeth Kirk
The British government has come under increased pressure to reveal more information on CIA practices of transporting terror suspects from UK territory, following an internal memo on the issue leaked to the press.
The internal memo was written by an official in foreign minister Jack Straw's private office to another official in the office of prime minister Tony Blair.
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The note was apparently intended as advice on how to handle public inquiries about "rendition" flights by the American intelligence service CIA, but was leaked to the New Statesman magazine.
It raises speculations as to whether the UK permitted the use of its airspace and airports for clandestine American transportation of foreign prisoners.
"The papers we have unearthed so far suggest there could be more such cases," the note read, adding that both the foreign office and the prime minister’s office "are urgently examining their files".
But the government is not aware that any "Extraordinary Rendition" has taken place, the note underlines "It does remain true that we are not aware of the use of UK territory or airspace for the purposes of "Extraordinary Rendition".
The term Extraordinary Rendition "is normally used to connote the transfer of a person from one third country to another, in circumstances where there is a real risk that the individual will be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment," the note specifies.
It also says that "Extraordinary Rendition is almost certainly illegal".
The leak is certain to attract special attention from members of the European Parliament, which issued a mandate this week for a 46-strong temporary committee to investigate alleged CIA flights and camps in Europe.
The Council of Europe (CoE) is also running a special inquiry into the matter.
The CoE investigations are led by Swiss senator Dick Marty, who last week accused European leaders of "shocking" passivity, arguing they knew about the illegal detainment and transportation of prisoners taking place on their soil.
"The question is: was the CIA really working in Europe? I believe we can say today, without a doubt, yes", Mr Marty said in a press conference last Friday (13 January).
He is expected to submit a preliminary report into the allegations about clandestine prison transports from European airports and prison camps across Europe to the CoE and to the EU on Monday (23 January).
EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini earlier indicated that EU member states as well as candidate countries such as Romania and Bulgaria could face sanctions if the allegations are found to be true.