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Probe rejects UK rendition claim Probe rejects UK rendition claims
(about 4 hours later)
A police inquiry says it has found no evidence UK airports have been used to move CIA detainees who faced torture.A police inquiry says it has found no evidence UK airports have been used to move CIA detainees who faced torture.
The probe examined a complaint by the human rights group Liberty that "extraordinary rendition" flights landed on British soil. The Association of Chief Police Officers dismissed claims by campaign group Liberty that "extraordinary rendition" flights landed in Britain.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), which carried out the investigation, said "no evidence had been found to support the claims". Liberty's Shami Chakrabarti accused Acpo of spin, saying the claims were based on "credible investigations".
But Liberty's director Shami Chakrabarti accused Acpo of "spin". Reports had suggested that CIA flights carrying prisoners had entered Britain 210 times since 2001.
Suspected terrorists 'Spin' claim
It had been claimed that CIA flights had entered Britain 210 times since 2001. News of Acpo's findings came after human rights watchdog the Council of Europe produced a report saying there was evidence to prove the CIA had run secret jails in Europe.
The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Michael Todd, agreed on behalf of Acpo to investigate whether UK law had been breached. When politicians spin it is disappointing. When police engage in the same activity, it is rather more dangerous Shami ChakrabartiLiberty
When politicians spin it is disappointing. When police engage in the same activity it is rather more dangerous Shami ChakrabartiLiberty It said prisons were used to interrogate terrorism suspects "in Europe from 2003 to 2005, in particular in Poland and Romania".
The aircraft were alleged to have been carrying suspected terrorists to countries where they may have faced torture. The CIA later dismissed the report, with a spokesman saying the report was biased and distorted, and that the agency had operated lawfully.
But an Acpo statement said: "Mr Todd has now examined all of the information available relating to this issue and has concluded that there is indeed no evidence to substantiate Liberty's allegations." The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Michael Todd, began an investigation into Liberty's claims in November 2005.
A spokeswoman added: "There was no evidence that UK airports were used to transport people by the CIA for torture in other countries. On Friday Acpo said Mr Todd had "examined all of the information available relating to this issue".
"There was nothing to substantiate the claims in the evidence supplied by Liberty." "[Mr Todd] has concluded that there is indeed no evidence to substantiate Liberty's allegations."
But the findings contradict a report published by human rights watchdog the Council of Europe, which claimed the US and Nato allies reached agreed to let the CIA to hold detainees in Europe. A spokeswoman added: "There was no evidence that UK airports were used to transport people by the CIA for torture in other countries."
Ms Chakrabarti drew attention to the fact that both announcements were "coincidentally" made on the same day. But Ms Chakrabarti questioned how closely Mr Todd had looked into the allegations.
She insisted that Liberty's complaint was "based upon credible investigations that Britain had been used as a staging post". Some suspects were flown to Cuba via Eastern Europe, it is claimed
Campaigners also claim flights stopped in eastern Europe en-route to Cuba She drew attention to the fact that Acpo's statement and the Council of Europe's announcement were "coincidentally" made on the same day.
"When politicians spin it is disappointing. When police engage in the same activity it is rather more dangerous," she added. And she insisted that Liberty's complaint was "based upon credible investigations that Britain had been used as a staging post".
"When politicians spin it is disappointing. When police engage in the same activity it is rather more dangerous," she said.
Requests granted
It had been reported in 2005 that airports at Biggin Hill, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brize Norton, Farnborough, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, RAF Mildenhall, Northolt, and Stansted had allowed CIA or CIA-chartered jets to land.It had been reported in 2005 that airports at Biggin Hill, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brize Norton, Farnborough, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, RAF Mildenhall, Northolt, and Stansted had allowed CIA or CIA-chartered jets to land.
Liberty raised the issue in letters to the chief constables of Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire, the Metropolitan Police, the Ministry of Defence Police, Suffolk, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands.Liberty raised the issue in letters to the chief constables of Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire, the Metropolitan Police, the Ministry of Defence Police, Suffolk, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands.
The Foreign Office previously said the US had requested permission to transfer detainees through the UK on four occasions - all of them in 1998.
The government had granted two of the requests, and the individuals had stood trial in the US, according to the Foreign Office.