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UK inquiry on rendition and torture to be handed to ISC UK inquiry on rendition and torture to be handed to ISC
(35 minutes later)
The stalled official inquiry into the UK's involvement in rendition and torture in the years after 9/11 is to be handed to the controversial Intelligence and Security Committee, the government will announce on Thursday. The stalled official inquiry into the UK's involvement in rendition and torture in the years after 9/11 is to be handed to the controversial intelligence and security committee (ISC), the government will announce on Thursday.
The decision follows years of assurances by ministers that the inquiry would be headed by a senior judge.The decision follows years of assurances by ministers that the inquiry would be headed by a senior judge.
It is a move that will dismay human rights groups: the ISC is the oversight body that failed to report publicly on the bulk surveillance operations being conducted by the UK's signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, and it has already conducted one inquiry into rendition, after which it cleared MI5 and MI6 of blame. It is a move that will dismay human rights groups. The ISC is the oversight body that failed to report publicly on the bulk surveillance operations being conducted by the UK's signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, and it has already conducted one inquiry into rendition, after which it cleared MI5 and MI6 of blame.
The extent to which the agencies were involved in the abuse of terrorism suspects may be outlined on Thursday with the publication of a redacted version of an interim report of the stalled inquiry that was led by Sir Peter Gibson, a retired appeal court judge.The extent to which the agencies were involved in the abuse of terrorism suspects may be outlined on Thursday with the publication of a redacted version of an interim report of the stalled inquiry that was led by Sir Peter Gibson, a retired appeal court judge.
Gibson is said to be calling for further investigation into the UK's involvement in the rendition of two Libyan opposition leaders and their families to Tripoli in 2004, and the role played by Jack Straw, who was foreign secretary at the time. Straw, was not available for comment but has previously denied any wrong doing. MI6 is reported to have confronted him with documentary evidence that he personally authorised the agency's involvement in the rendition operations. Gibson is said to be calling for further investigation into the UK's involvement in the rendition of two Libyan opposition leaders and their families to Tripoli in 2004, and the role played by Jack Straw, who was foreign secretary at the time. Straw was not available for comment but has previously denied any wrongdoing. MI6 is reported to have confronted him with documentary evidence that he personally authorised the agency's involvement in the rendition operations.
Gibson's inquiry came to a halt two years ago when Scotland Yard launched a criminal investigation after evidence of the UK-Libyan rendition operations was discovered in an abandoned Tripoli office building during the revolution that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. There had also been a behind-the-scenes disagreement over the question of whether Gibson, or the heads of MI6 and MI5, would have control of the publication of evidence.Gibson's inquiry came to a halt two years ago when Scotland Yard launched a criminal investigation after evidence of the UK-Libyan rendition operations was discovered in an abandoned Tripoli office building during the revolution that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. There had also been a behind-the-scenes disagreement over the question of whether Gibson, or the heads of MI6 and MI5, would have control of the publication of evidence.
Although Gibson took no oral evidence, he compiled a report based upon the documentary evidence that he had been able to examine. After sitting on the desk of David Cameron for 18 months, part of that report is finally to be published on Thursday. Although Gibson took no oral evidence, he compiled a report based on the documentary evidence he had been able to examine. After sitting on the desk of David Cameron for 18 months, part of that report is finally to be published on Thursday.
The growing awareness of the extent to which the UK government and its agencies had become complicit in the mistreatment of terrorism suspects by the US authorities, and by those states who became close allies in the so-called war on terror, was the cause of deep discomfort for incoming ministers when the coalition government was formed. The growing awareness of the extent to which the UK government and its agencies became complicit in the mistreatment of terrorism suspects by the US authorities, and by those states who became close allies in the so-called war on terror, caused deep discomfort for incoming ministers when the coalition government was formed.
Within weeks of the formation of the government, Cameron announced the establishment of the inquiry to be led by Gibson; when Gibson's inquiries were shelved in January last year, Ken Clarke, then the justice secretary, promised MPs: "The government fully intends to hold a judge-led inquiry into these issues once it is possible to do so and all related police investigations have been concluded."Within weeks of the formation of the government, Cameron announced the establishment of the inquiry to be led by Gibson; when Gibson's inquiries were shelved in January last year, Ken Clarke, then the justice secretary, promised MPs: "The government fully intends to hold a judge-led inquiry into these issues once it is possible to do so and all related police investigations have been concluded."
The human rights charity Reprieve said it feared that the ISC could not be trusted to deliver anything other than a whitewash. Clare Algar, the organisation's executive director, said: "If the government takes this course, it will be breaking its promise to hold a genuine, independent inquiry into the UK's involvement in torture. Worse still, it will be handing the task to a committee of MPs hand-picked by the prime minister, which has consistently missed major scandals involving the security services.The human rights charity Reprieve said it feared that the ISC could not be trusted to deliver anything other than a whitewash. Clare Algar, the organisation's executive director, said: "If the government takes this course, it will be breaking its promise to hold a genuine, independent inquiry into the UK's involvement in torture. Worse still, it will be handing the task to a committee of MPs hand-picked by the prime minister, which has consistently missed major scandals involving the security services.
"The ISC not only lacks independence – it has also sadly been proven to be completely hopeless as a watchdog. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ken Clarke have all personally pledged to hold an independent, judge-led inquiry into torture – they must not abandon their promise in favour of a whitewash." "The ISC not only lacks independence, it has also sadly been proven to be completely hopeless as a watchdog. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ken Clarke have all personally pledged to hold an independent, judge-led inquiry into torture – they must not abandon their promise in favour of a whitewash."
The two rendition operations in which the Libyan dissidents and their families were kidnapped and taken to Gaddafi's jails were mounted either side of Tony Blair's first visit Libya, in which he embraced the dictator, declared that they had found common cause in the fight against terrorism, and announced a £550m gas exploration deal for Shell.The two rendition operations in which the Libyan dissidents and their families were kidnapped and taken to Gaddafi's jails were mounted either side of Tony Blair's first visit Libya, in which he embraced the dictator, declared that they had found common cause in the fight against terrorism, and announced a £550m gas exploration deal for Shell.
One of the dissident's wives was heavily pregnant at the time of the abduction; the other was kidnapped along with his wife and four children, the youngest a girl aged six.One of the dissident's wives was heavily pregnant at the time of the abduction; the other was kidnapped along with his wife and four children, the youngest a girl aged six.
Among the secret papers discovered during the Libyan revolution was a signed letter from the then head of counter-terrorism at MI6, Mark Allen, in which he boasted of his agency's role in one of the rendition operation. Among the secret papers discovered during the Libyan revolution was a signed letter from the then head of counter-terrorism at MI6, Mark Allen, in which he boasted of his agency's role in one of the rendition operations.
The discovery and publication of the documents deeply disturbed MI6. However, there have been allegations of MI6 and MI5 involvement in a series of other operations in Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco and Bangladesh, as well as Guantánamo Bay and Afghanistan, in which terrorism suspects have suffered severe mistreatment. The discovery and publication of the documents deeply disturbed MI6. However, there have been allegations of MI6 and MI5 involvement in a series of other operations in Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco and Bangladesh, as well as Guantánamo Bay and Afghanistan, in which terrorism suspects suffered severe mistreatment.
In some cases – the most notorious being that of the British resident Binyam Mohamed – the allegations have been found to be true, while in others the government has paid sums totalling several million pounds in order to settle compensation claims out of court.In some cases – the most notorious being that of the British resident Binyam Mohamed – the allegations have been found to be true, while in others the government has paid sums totalling several million pounds in order to settle compensation claims out of court.
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