A landmark speech by ex Vice President Al Gore on Monday called for the defence and preservation of the US constitution, an end to executive abuse, and compliance with international law. Referring to the issue of extraordinary rendition and torture he cites the work of Craig Murray. His quote is taken from the Tashkent Telegrams, documents that the British Government has strived to keep from public access.

"The President has also claimed that he has the authority to kidnap individuals in foreign countries and deliver them for imprisonment and interrogation on our behalf by autocratic regimes in nations that are infamous for the cruelty of their techniques for torture.

Some of our traditional allies have been shocked by these new practices on the part of our nation. The British Ambassador to Uzbekistan - one of those nations with the worst reputations for torture in its prisons - registered a complaint to his home office about the senselessness and cruelty of the new U.S. practice: "This material is useless - we are selling our souls for dross. It is in fact positively harmful."

The full text of the speech can be found at the link below.