UK blamed for allowing 'inexcusable' torture by US after 9/11 attacks
June 28, 2018  21:31
Britain's intelligence officers and ministers have been blamed for allowing "inexcusable" torture by the US in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.

A damning UK parliamentary report released today concluded that British authorities turned a blind eye to the routine mistreatment of detainees by US authorities. The cross-party House of Commons' Intelligence and Security Committee said UK intelligence agencies, like MI6 and GCHQ, knew what was going on from an early point but failed to act.

"In addition to individual cases, we have considered the actions of those in the agencies' head offices. Immediately after 9/11, the agency heads and deputies were briefed by the CIA. These briefings clearly showed US intent but were not taken seriously," the report noted, adding, "In our view the UK tolerated actions, and took others, that we regard as inexcusable".

"It is difficult to comprehend how those at the top of the office did not recognise the pattern of mistreatment by the US. That the US, and others, were mistreating detainees is beyond doubt, as is the fact that the agencies and defence intelligence were aware of this at an early point," it says.

"The same is true of rendition: there was no attempt to identify the risks involved and formulate the UK's response," it added.

MPs also found three cases in which Britain's spy agencies MI6 and MI5 "made, or offered to make, a financial contribution to others to conduct a rendition operation".
"Given the countries concerned, these can be described as 'extraordinary renditions' due to the real risk of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment," it said.
MPs found that British spies had seen detainees being mistreated at least 13 times and were told by prisoners on 25 other occasions that they were being mistreated. On another 128 occasions, they were told of mistreatment by foreign agencies.

-- PTI
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