PM denies knowledge of 'CIA torture'
David Fickling and agencies
Wednesday December 7, 2005
Tony Blair told parliament today he knows nothing about alleged torture going on in CIA detention camps in eastern Europe, speaking during his first prime minister's questions opposite the new Tory leader, David Cameron.
"In respect of the allegations of so-called torture facilities or detention facilities across Europe, I really know nothing about them at all. I clearly know there aren't any such here," he said in response to a question from the Labour backbencher David Winnick.
He said that extraordinary rendition - in which terror suspects are flown from the countries where they were arrested to ones where rules on prisoner rights are more lax - was different from torture.
"Torture cannot be justified in any set of circumstances at all," he said in answer to a question from the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy.
Mr Blair also said the military prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba was an "anomaly" that should be closed down.
Many legal experts question whether there could be any practical purpose behind rendition if suspects were not being tortured. The US, however, denies that such practices are used and says rendition has been Washington policy for years.
George Bush yesterday denied that rendition had ever been used to torture prisoners. "We do not render to countries that torture. That has been our policy and that policy will remain the same," Mr Bush told reporters.
However, the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, admitted yesterday: "Mistakes will be made". She was responding to questions in Germany about the case of Khaled Masri, a German national who was allegedly arrested by the CIA in Macedonia, flown to Afghanistan and imprisoned for five months.
Mr Blair said there was a difference between rendition and torture, adding that Ms Rice had assured him the practice was being conducted legitimately.
"It must be applied in accordance with international conventions, and I accept entirely her assurance that it has been," he said.
"It is just as well to remember that some of the people we are talking about are people that we need to detain for reasons of action against international terrorism.
"Some of these people are highly dangerous. Some of them can provide information that is of absolutely fundamental importance in preventing terrorism. There should, of course, be proper treatment of anyone detained."
A Guardian investigation published three months ago found that flights used in rendition operations had landed in UK airports on average once a week since September 11 2001.
guardian.co.uk
David Fickling and agencies
Wednesday December 7, 2005
Tony Blair told parliament today he knows nothing about alleged torture going on in CIA detention camps in eastern Europe, speaking during his first prime minister's questions opposite the new Tory leader, David Cameron.
"In respect of the allegations of so-called torture facilities or detention facilities across Europe, I really know nothing about them at all. I clearly know there aren't any such here," he said in response to a question from the Labour backbencher David Winnick.
He said that extraordinary rendition - in which terror suspects are flown from the countries where they were arrested to ones where rules on prisoner rights are more lax - was different from torture.
"Torture cannot be justified in any set of circumstances at all," he said in answer to a question from the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy.
Mr Blair also said the military prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba was an "anomaly" that should be closed down.
Many legal experts question whether there could be any practical purpose behind rendition if suspects were not being tortured. The US, however, denies that such practices are used and says rendition has been Washington policy for years.
George Bush yesterday denied that rendition had ever been used to torture prisoners. "We do not render to countries that torture. That has been our policy and that policy will remain the same," Mr Bush told reporters.
However, the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, admitted yesterday: "Mistakes will be made". She was responding to questions in Germany about the case of Khaled Masri, a German national who was allegedly arrested by the CIA in Macedonia, flown to Afghanistan and imprisoned for five months.
Mr Blair said there was a difference between rendition and torture, adding that Ms Rice had assured him the practice was being conducted legitimately.
"It must be applied in accordance with international conventions, and I accept entirely her assurance that it has been," he said.
"It is just as well to remember that some of the people we are talking about are people that we need to detain for reasons of action against international terrorism.
"Some of these people are highly dangerous. Some of them can provide information that is of absolutely fundamental importance in preventing terrorism. There should, of course, be proper treatment of anyone detained."
A Guardian investigation published three months ago found that flights used in rendition operations had landed in UK airports on average once a week since September 11 2001.
guardian.co.uk