HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

SouthCoast Indymedia

LGC calls for independent inquiry into UK involvement in extraordinary rendition

London Guantánamo Campaign | 13.03.2009 11:19 | Guantánamo | Repression | Terror War | South Coast | World

Over the past few weeks, evidence has been emerging and pressure has been growing for an independent inquiry into the UK's involvement in extraordinary rendition, both of British nationals/residents and foreign nationals with no ties to the UK, by being complicit in torture, facilitating the "rendition" (kidnap and torture) of individuals in Iraq, Pakistan, Gambia, etc. and allowing "rendition" flights to stop over, fly over or refuel on British territory. Calls have been made by politicians, including Conservative Party leader David Cameron, for an independent inquiry.
Take action - write to your MP and the Foreign Office now and demand a full independent public inquiry!

This morning, former Guantánamo detainee and "rendition" survivor Binyam Mohamed spoke on the Radio 4 Today programme. He stated that he would not have faced the horrific ordeal that he has had the British intelligence services not intervened and fed information to the CIA  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7940958.stm According to the accompanying BBC news report, the British government has stated that "it does not condone torture, but will investigate claims"; an independent inquiry would go a long way into substantiating this oft-repeated line by the government. Current investigations by the Attorney General and the parliamentary ISC are not independent.

In this same article, the US claimed that Mr. Mohamed "has a history of making unsubstantiated claims", this being the same country that had no qualms about torturing Mr. Mohamed to extract claims that cannot be and have not been substantiated from him and which has unrelentingly peddled false claims against those - running into the many thousands. beyond Guantánamo - it has falsely imprisoned over the past 7 1/2 years, under the so-called "war on terror".

--------------------------------
Action Alert: A Public Independent Inquiry must be Held into the Full Extent of British Involvement in Extraordinary Rendition



Background to “Extraordinary Rendition”:

“Extraordinary rendition” is the illegal CIA programme of kidnapping individuals in one country and flying them to another country or countries to be tortured. The CIA alleges that it is an intelligence-gathering exercise, yet the use of evidence obtained through torture is banned in most countries. Torture is banned completely under international law and is not allowed under any circumstance anywhere in the world.



The CIA has admitted to “rendering” over 30,000 men, women and children who just “disappear” off the face of the Earth. The actual number may be far higher. Countries all over the world, in all continents, have been involved in the programme, either through sharing intelligence used in the programme, allowing “rendition” flights to stop over, refuel on or fly over their territories, assisting in torture directly or handing over individuals to be “rendered”. The UK is involved too.



The Foreign Office has repeatedly stated that it does not condone the use of torture. The Foreign Secretary recently described the rule of law, whereby all are equal before the law, as the “cornerstone” of a democratic society. “Extraordinary rendition” and its components – kidnap and torture – greatly undermine this foundation and other vital factors for healthy democracy and lawful action: transparency and fairness.



In recent years, the government has prevented anyone with evidence from speaking out, including a former ambassador and armed forces personnel. There is little doubt that the UK government has been involved in illegal activity and must come clean about the full extent of its involvement in criminal activity at home and abroad.



Admissions and allegations of UK involvement:

· In February 2008, the foreign secretary, David Miliband, admitted that two flights carrying detainees en route to Guantánamo Bay stopped off to refuel at the military based on the British-administered island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

· Further allegations have been made of flights stopping at Diego Garcia, the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean as well as airports on the UK mainland, including Gatwick, Prestwick and Luton. Investigations into this have been limited in scope and inconclusive.



· Through a High Court case brought by lawyers acting on his behalf, allegations emerged in 2008 of the collusion between British and American Intelligence in the torture and rendition of British resident Binyam Mohamed in 2002-2004 in Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan. Mr. Mohamed was subsequently held in Guantánamo Bay until he was released in February 2009.

· His torture included being beaten, threatened with rape, his body, including his genitals, were slashed repeatedly with a knife, being subjected to a mock execution and sensory and sleep deprivation.

· There is no longer any doubt that British agents were involved, yet the government lied to the High Court judges in this case, claiming they had been bullied by the US into secrecy. These documents include recent allegations of MI5 telegrams asking for specific questions about certain individuals to be put to Mr. Mohamed while being tortured.

· This case was referred to the office of the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, last year for investigation and possible criminal prosecution. She has referred the evidence she has been given to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee has also reopened its investigation. However, these are NOT independent inquiries.

· All the British nationals and residents who have returned from Guantánamo Bay have stated that they were visited by MI5 or MI6 while in detention there and while being rendered through Afghanistan and Pakistan.



· Also in February 2009, Defence Minister John Hutton, admitted that the British army in southern Iraq had illegally handed over two Pakistani suspects to the American authorities there in 2004, when Basra was under British administration. They were subsequently “rendered” to Afghanistan where they were tortured.

· Allegations of the British army handing over suspects to the US who were then “rendered” first emerged in early 2008 when former SAS soldier Ben Griffin spoke out. However, he quickly had a court order slapped on him by the Ministry of Defence to stop him saying what he knew.



· The Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary recently refused to appear before a Joint Committee on Human Rights (parliamentary committee) hearing on allegations of MI5 involvement in the torture of British nationals in Pakistan. What does the government have to hide?



Take action!

Write to your MP and the Foreign Secretary and ask them to:

- demand a full independent public inquiry into Britain’s involvement in extraordinary rendition, including what the British government knew about the torture and rendition of British nationals and residents. The case of Binyam Mohamed would provide a good starting point.

- demand a full inquiry into the use of British territories by the US for extraordinary rendition

- demand an end to British involvement in extraordinary rendition and firm assurances, backed by evidence, that the UK is no longer involved in any way



Write to your MP: you can find out who they are and their email/postal address at www.theyworkforyou.com



Write to the Foreign Secretary:

Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP

Foreign Secretary,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles St ,
London SW1A 2AH

Email:  private.office@fco.gov.uk



We have produced a sample letter for you, although it is better to write a letter in your own words mentioning some or all of the points raised above. Please let the London Guantánamo Campaign –  london.gtmo@googlemail.com – know if you get a response from your MP or the Foreign Office



Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP

Foreign Secretary,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles St ,
London SW1A 2AH



Dear Mr. Miliband,



I would like to begin by thanking you for your recent efforts to bring Mr. Binyam Mohamed back to the UK from Guantánamo Bay. As thrilled as his family members, friends and supporters are to have Binyam back, there is a profound uneasiness that dampens our celebratory mood. This is the result not only of our increasing knowledge of the details of Binyam’s suffering over the past 7 years, which included being beaten, threatened with rape, slashed repeatedly with a knife on his genitals, subjected to a mock execution and sensory and sleep deprivation, but also of details emerging regarding the British government’s complicity in his inhumane and indeed illegal treatment, including his rendition to and torture in Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan. I urge you to commission a full independent public enquiry into these allegations.



Recent evidence has emerged to back up Mr. Mohamed’s claims of UK complicity in his treatment, including a High Court ruling last month on a case brought by lawyers acting on his behalf. Amongst the corroborating evidence to emerge out of this process were documents alleging that MI5 telegrams were sent to US officials asking for specific questions about certain individuals to be put to Mr. Mohamed while being tortured. Unfortunately, the full details of these allegations have yet to see the light of day as a result of your efforts to stonewall the process.



These allegations are further corroborated by a recent report by Martin Scheinin (the UN Special Rapporteur on the Protection of Human Rights While Countering Terrorism), which highlights the illegal cooperation between Britain and the US on extraordinary rendition. The report also accuses Britain of cooperating with various sordid regimes that abuse prisoners (including Morocco, where Binyam Mohamed was tortured) and calls for much more careful oversight of the intelligence community.

Despite the government’s attempts to stymie the efforts of those seeking the truth on this matter, Binyam’s allegations of UK complicity in his rendition and torture have been further substantiated in comments made by Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan. In an appeal to have his evidence heard by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, Murray wrote “I can testify that beyond any doubt the British government has for at least six years [had] a considered but secret policy of cooperation with torture abroad,” and that, at an FCO meeting in March 2003, “I was told … that it is not illegal for us to obtain intelligence gained by torture, provided that we did not do the torture ourselves. I was told that it had been decided that as a matter of War on Terror policy we should now obtain intelligence from torture, following discussion between Jack Straw and Richard Dearlove” (the head of MI6).

Binyam’s claims are further supported by statements of all of the British nationals and residents who have returned from Guantánamo Bay. These statements include claims that they were visited by MI5 or MI6 while in detention there and while being rendered through Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Last year, Binyam’s case was referred to the Office of the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, for investigation and possible criminal prosecution. She referred the evidence she has been given to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee has also reopened its investigation. However, these are not independent inquiries and therefore do not meet the criteria of this demand for justice for Binyam and for all other British nationals and residents whose torture and illegal rendition were apparently carried out with the knowledge, if not support, of the British government.



Recently, the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary refused to appear before a Joint Committee on Human Rights hearing on allegations of MI5 involvement in the torture of British nationals in Pakistan. Their failure to cooperate with this parliamentary inquiry raises the question: What does the government have to hide? It is well-past time for the government to come clean on the role it has played in the numerous, well-documented incidents of torture, extraordinary rendition, and other practices carried out in the course of the ‘war on terror’ that have similarly violated international law and, as importantly, the British people’s trust in their government to protect the rights and well-being of its citizens and residents under all circumstances.





I look forward to your response and hope that you will take the necessary action.



Yours sincerely,





London Guantánamo Campaign

 london.gtmo@googlemail.com

 http://www.guantanamo.org.uk/

Friday 13 March 2009



To see the LGC's report of its recent parliamentary meeting about extraordinary rendition:
 https://london.indymedia.org.uk/system/file_upload/2009/03/12/31/25.02_meeting_report.pdf

London Guantánamo Campaign
- e-mail: london.gtmo[at]googlemail.com
- Homepage: http://www.guantanamo.org.uk/

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

-->

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

South Coast [navigation.actions2016]

South Coast [navigation.actions2015]

South Coast [navigation.actions2014]

NATO 2014

South Coast Actions 2013

G8 2013

South Coast Actions 2012

Workfare

South Coast Actions 2011

2011 Census Resistance
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Occupy Everywhere

South Coast Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

South Coast Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

South Coast Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

South Coast Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

South Coast Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

South Coast Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

South Coast Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

South Coast Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech