Blair ‘can’t remember’ Belhadj rendition

Tony Blair has said he has no memory of the Belhadj rendition case but claimed he was not aware of any occasion when his government breached its opposition to the tactic.

Libyans Sami al-Saadi and Abdel Hakim Belhadj are suing the British government for what they claim is its complicity in their alleged rendition and torture in 2004 after several documents emerged in the wake of the fall of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi’s regime last year.

Mr Blair, prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said co-operation with the former Libyan regime against terrorism had been “important”.

He defended the security services as doing an important, dangerous job, one which he said generally deserves the “full support of the country”.

Asked about the case, and whether similar examples lay behind distrust of the West, Mr Blair said: “About the Belhadj case, I don’t have any recollection of it at all.

“There are many complicated reasons why the West’s relationship is difficult with the Middle East but I think [rendition] is probably the least of them. Rendition has been the policy of successive US administrations.”

Also known as Abu Abd Allah Sadiq, Mr Belhadj, 45, a Libyan rebel commander who was living in exile in Beijing, says he was tortured after being detained with his wife in 2004 en route to seek asylum in the UK.

The civil suit stems from the discovery of a 2004 letter purportedly from Sir Mark Allen, the former MI6 director of counter-terrorism, to thew head of Gaddafi’s intelligence agency.

In it, Sir Mark is said to pass on thanks for helping arrange Mr Blair’s visit to Gaddafi, writing: “Most importantly, I congratulate you on the safe arrival of Abu Abd Allah Sadiq.

“This was the least we could do for you and for Libya to demonstrate the remarkable relationship we have built over the years.”