Monday, September 05, 2011

Libya rendition claims: David Cameron calls for inquiry

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Allegations that MI6 was involved in the rendition of Libyan terror suspects should be examined by an independent inquiry, David Cameron has said.

It comes after papers suggesting close ties between MI6, the CIA and the Gaddafi regime were found in Tripoli.

An anti-Gaddafi military leader says he wants the UK and US to apologise for organising his 2004 transfer to Libya.

An existing inquiry into allegations of UK security agencies' involvement in torture has said it will investigate.
'Deserves apology'

Abdel Hakim Belhaj says he was taken to Libya in a CIA and MI6 operation, after being arrested in Bangkok, and tortured and imprisoned.

He was then a terror suspect but is now in charge of the Libyan capital's military forces.

This appears to be confirmed by documents discovered in an abandoned office building in Tripoli by staff from Human Rights Watch.

The documents relating to Mr Belhaj have been seen by the BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen.

The Foreign Office said the government had a "long-standing policy" not to comment on intelligence matters.

Mr Belhaj told the BBC: "What happened to me and my family is illegal. It deserves an apology. And for what happened to me when I was captured and tortured.

"For all these illegal things, starting with the information given to Libyan security, the interrogation in Bangkok."

Mr Belhaj said that MI6 and the CIA did not witness his torture at the hands of the former Libyan regime, but did interview him afterwards.

A spokesman for the prime minister said that the existing Detainee Inquiry into rendition was "well placed" to investigate the allegations reported in recent days.

"It's not clear precisely what the allegations amount to," the spokesman added. "We don't have a clear picture from these documents, which is precisely why an inquiry like the [Detainee] inquiry might be well placed to consider the issue."

A statement from the Detainee Inquiry, to be chaired by Sir Peter Gibson, said that as part of its role of examining the extent of the government's involvement in, or awareness of, improper treatment of detainees, it would "therefore, of course, be considering these allegations of UK involvement in rendition to Libya as part of our work."
Source of concern

Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition, said: "These further allegations must be fully investigated by the Gibson inquiry. David Cameron was right to set this up. The inquiry itself must demonstrate that it is up to the job.

"Unfortunately, Sir Peter Gibson's early decisions - not to appoint an investigator, not to look at detainee transfer in theatre, not to sufficiently engage with the victims - do not inspire public confidence."

Sir Mark Allen, formerly MI6's director of counter-terrorism, has been reported to be the author of a letter to Moussa Koussa, thanking him for a "delicious" gift of dates and oranges, which was found among the recovered documents.

Mr Koussa served for years as Col Gaddafi's spy chief before becoming foreign minister. He defected in the early part of the rebellion, flying to the UK and then on to Qatar.

Rights groups have long accused him of involvement in atrocities, and had called on the UK to arrest him at the time.

Kim Howells, a former Foreign Office minister who became chairman of the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, said his committee found no evidence of rendition by the UK.

But, he added, following the September 11 attacks, British intelligence would have been working closely with their Libyan counterparts.

"There were huge fears that Islamists - and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group was an Islamist organisation - were going to try and do the same thing in London or Glasgow or Cardiff or whatever," he said.

"And I think there was an attempt by the security services and intelligence services to try and get hold of any information that might give a clue as to whether there were bombers at large."

Jack Straw, who was foreign secretary between 2001 and 2006, told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that he did not know whether allegations UK security services were involved in the rendition of Libyan terror suspects were "credible".

But Mr Straw said the claims were a source of concern and "must be examined in very great detail" by the Gibson inquiry.

He said the last time the the Joint Intelligence Committee examined the issue it decided the UK had not been involved "but no foreign secretary can know the details of what all the intelligence agencies are doing at any one time".

Philippe Sands, a professor of international law, said he would not be surprised to find out that British security services and politicians had been co-operating with Libyan officials in the fight against terrorism, but also said some questions needed to be asked.

"This letter [referring to Abdul Hakim Belhaj] appears to be inconsistent with assurances given by most senior folk at MI5 and MI6 about who knew what when," he said.

The CIA would not comment on the specifics of the allegations.

Other documents found by Human Rights Watch workers are reported to suggest that MI6 gave the Gaddafi regime details of dissidents.

These documents, which allegedly reveal details about the UK's relationship with the Gaddafi regime, have not been seen by the BBC or independently verified.

Meanwhile, China's government has admitted that Chinese arms manufacturers held talks as recently as July with representatives of Colonel Gaddafi's government who were seeking arms and ammunition as his forces battled rebels.

The meetings happened in China while a UN ban on such sales was in place. But China's Foreign Ministry has insisted that no actual weapons were supplied to Libya.

Other documents allegedly showing the CIA abducted several suspected militants from 2002 to 2004 and handed them to Tripoli were among thousands of pieces of correspondence from US and UK officials uncovered by reporters and activists in an office apparently used by Moussa Koussa.

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