Police accused of 'spin' over CIA torture flights

Published on Sunday 10 June 2007 00:12

BRITISH police have been accused of "spin" after claiming the UK did not allow CIA 'torture flights' to use its airports to take terror suspects across Europe.

An 18-month inquiry examined claims by human rights group Liberty that "extraordinary rendition" flights chartered by the US government through the CIA landed at airports across Britain - before spiriting away terror suspects. After calling for the investigation Liberty refused to accept the findings.

Michael Todd, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, carried out the investigation on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).

It was claimed CIA flights have flown into the country more than 210 times since 2001. The aircraft were alleged to have been carrying terror detainees to other countries where they may have faced torture.

The Acpo findings contradict the conclusions of a report published on Friday by human rights watchdog the Council of Europe. That report claims the US and its Nato allies reached a secret agreement allowing the CIA to hold high value detainees in Europe.

A statement released by Acpo said:

"There was no evidence that UK airports were used to transport people by the CIA for torture in other countries. There was nothing to substantiate the claims in the evidence supplied by Liberty."

Despite the categorical statement,

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, accused Acpo of "spin" and questioned whether there had in fact been any investigation.

She said: "Over 18 months ago, Liberty wrote to the police expressing concern based upon credible investigations that Britain had been used as a staging post for the CIA's programme of extraordinary rendition.

"An Acpo public statement claimed no evidence had been found. When politicians spin it is disappointing. When police engage in the same activity it is rather more dangerous."

The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, Michael Moore, said: "Ministers cannot hide behind these findings. At the very least people will note the massive divergence between the Council of Europe's report and this police statement."

Prestwick, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports have all been named as stopovers for flights allegedly carrying people accused of terrorism to other countries not bound by human rights codes in the treatment of suspects. In February the European Parliament condemned the use of UK airports in the alleged transport of US prisoners of war after a year-long inquiry.

The controversial and secretive process dubbed "extraordinary rendition" comes into play when intelligence agencies move and interrogate terrorism suspects outside the US, where they have no American legal protection. It is claimed prisoners are flown abroad by the CIA so that aggressive interrogation techniques outlawed in the US can be deployed.