Britain said no to second US refuelling request: Straw

BRITAIN refused a request from the United States to refuel a flight carrying detainees over fears it would breach UK or international law, the Foreign Office said yesterday.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said in a written statement that a search of records had uncovered details of the 1998 request. Last month, he revealed another such application had been refused - and two others approved - while Bill Clinton was president.

Later, in the House of Commons, Kim Howells, a Foreign Office minister, said the UK would not participate in any rendition operation which might be unlawful.

The Foreign Office said it had no records of any requests from the US for the use of UK facilities in any renditions since the terrorist attacks of 11 September, 2001.

It said the two 1998 requests were rejected on legal advice. "Our legal advice was that it would not meet our requirements," a spokeswoman said. "The UK would not deport any individual if we knew that there was a risk of ill-treatment or torture."