No evidence of rendition flights at Prestwick

Published on Thursday 26 July 2007 00:10

NO EVIDENCE has been found to support claims that Prestwick Airport was used for CIA-sponsored "torture flights", according to a Westminster committee.

It had been claimed that, between October 2001 and July 2003, the airport was used on four occasions by CIA-sponsored planes to refuel aircraft which were involved in transporting suspected terrorists to countries where they may undergo torture.

But, following a year-long inquiry, the intelligence and security committee (ISC) could not back the allegations.

The claims had triggered an outcry, but the Crown Office always insisted it had found no evidence to justify the issuing of a search warrant to inspect US flights.

That position was supported by the ISC's inquiry. In a report published yesterday, the committee said it had been told by MI6 that the security service had not helped "extraordinary renditions" via UK airspace of territory.

Government officials also said it had "no evidence" of rendition through the UK, while the Department for Transport said flight data checks "provided no evidence that the flights identified were involved in the rendition of prisoners". However, the committee criticised the government for failing to keep proper records of flight data.

The report said: "It is alleged that, on up to four occasions since 9/11, aircraft that had previously conducted a rendition operation overseas transited UK airspace during their return journeys (without detainees on board). The committee has not seen any evidence that might contradict the police assessment that there is no evidential basis on which a criminal inquiry into these flights could be launched."

Lord Foulkes, who sits on the committee, told The Scotsman that, following the investigation, members were "pretty certain" that Prestwick had not been used to help transport suspects to secret jails.

Tim Hancock, Amnesty International

's UK campaign director, said: "We welcome the committee's acknowledgement that secret detention amounts to 'mistreatment' and that the UK must never give approval to measures leading to it.

"It is alarming that, according to the committee, British intelligence material has been used by the US in rendering UK residents from Gambia to Guantanamo.

"Rendition is the fast-track to Guantanamo and we need to see the government unequivocally condemning all renditions and secret detentions."