LONDON, Feb. 21, 2008
U.K.: Rendition Flights Landed On Our Soil
Foreign Secretary Says Planes Carrying CIA Prisoners Were Refueled At Base In U.K. Territory
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At the House of Commons today, Foreign Secretary David Milliband admitted that British airports have been used for controversial "extraordinary rendition" of terror suspects. (Press Association via AP Images)
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Interactive Gitmo Tribunals Detainees on trial, photos and a history of the naval base.
The government had previously insisted it had no evidence to support allegations that Britain had been involved in rendition, the U.S. program of secretly transporting terror suspects.
Miliband apologized to members of Parliament, saying U.S. officials have only just confirmed to him last week that such flights have twice landed on British soil, contradicting previous U.S. government assurances.
The planes refueled at a military base operated jointly by the U.S. and U.K. located on the British Indian Ocean territory. One flight was headed to the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, the other to Morocco.
Miliband says neither of the two men being transported was a British resident or citizen. One is still being detained at Guantanamo, and the other has been released.
Under its agreement with the U.K. granting the U.S. rights to use the island, the U.S. government is supposed to ask permission for such flights, but assurances were given to Britain that no such flights had taken place, which led to earlier misleading statements made by former Prime Minister Tony Blair and former foreign secretary Jack Straw.
Miliband said the Americans had assured him that no U.S. detainees had been held on Diego Garcia or at any other U.K. territory.
Nevertheless, Miliband told Parliament, "I have asked my officials to compile a list of all the flights where we have been alerted to concerns regarding rendition through the U.K. or our overseas territories. Once this is ready we will be sending this list to the U.S. and seeking their specific assurance that none of these flights were used for rendition purposes."
He also underscored that Britain expects in the future that the U.S. will seek prior permission when transporting detainees through U.K. territory and airspace, and that permission would only be granted "if we are satisfied that the rendition would accord with U.K. law and our international obligations, and how we understand our obligations under the U.N. Convention Against Torture."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he "shared the disappointment that everybody has" about the stops. Brown, speaking in Brussels, Belgium, said he had just been informed.
"The important thing now is we put in place the best possible procedures to ensure that this will not happen again," he said.
Miliband said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shared his concern: "We both agree that the mistakes made in these two cases are not acceptable and she shares my deep regret that this information has only just come to light," he said.
Conservative Party member and shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the revelation will give rise to "widespread concern" given past assurances that no such renditions had taken place.
In December 2005, Rice said that the U.S. respects the sovereignty of other nations, and "does not use the airspace or the airports of any country for the purpose of transporting a detainee to a country where he or she will be tortured."
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 58 CommentsAnd I thought the British received better education than the Americans, silly me.
The article has nothing to do with Brits apologizing, but is about how the British were lied to by the Americans, how they were duped into being an accomplice in Bush''s violations of the Geneva Convention, and crimes against humanity.
It seems you are among the last handful of people on earth that still believes that Bush is fighting "terrorism".
AMERICONS = LIARS
You don''''t need to suffer 11 more months, impeach now as we have the evidences beyond a reasonable doubt."
Posted by lovegetpeace
Sounds good to me. When do we start?
Our pathetic, socialist, government makes be feel embarrassed to be a Brit.
On the subject of communism and domocratism.
In communism, the dictator is responsible for the welfare of the people.
In domocracy, the people are responsible for their own welfare.
Given our situation today, the people are doing a terrible job.
Therefore, domocracy is just as bad as communism.
Also, Capitalism works best under communism where workers have almost no rights. Capitalism does not like it when workers have rights such as in democratic countries.
You don''t need to suffer 11 more months, impeach now as we have the evidences beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Man you are so full of it your eyes are BROWN! Every time you bootlickers get trapped you fall back on McCarthyism!! We BROKE the LAW and we LIED to our ONLY ally! Lets try to get a grip on your cowardly fear here long enough to try and understand how MANY new Terrorist we will create with acts like this. YOU do know this will create even MORE hatred for us don''''t you Swastika Breath. That God we had progressives running things in the two World War''''s... had you cowards been doing it we''''d have lost and lost big time. Sieg Heil Bush"
I would love to see the files kept on those who have been rendered - then perhaps we would find out how many of these "terrorists" have had to be set free because of their innocence.
This Bush Administration have tortured and murdered far too many innocent people.
Personally, I hope that some "foreign" country renders GW Bush and sends him to Syria where he is tortured slowly - very slowly - until he is no more.
"andor3,
Maybe I am one. I know the US has to fight Islamic jihad, and I believed in the war against communism -when it was cold or hot. I was even involved in that one, no heroic deeds, but I did my part as ordered. If the US had not stood up against ommunist aggression, the world would be communist today. If we don''''t stand up against jihad, Western civilization is doomed. The irony is that if western civilization falls the formerly communist nations will be the true survivors."
I strongly disagree.
During the Vietnam war, we told other countries that if Vietnam fell, the rest of Asia would follow.
That did not happen, despite the fact that the Vietnamese won the Vietnam war.
Communism, just like pure Capitalism, is a deeply flawed ideology.
Fact is, Governments need enemies - it helps to control the people, and as we have seen, it can help win "un-winnable" elections.
When you have NO HONOR, like the Neocons don''t, no one in the freaking world is going to trust you! Why do you suppose that those of us in our own country are rather applied at the brazen LIES the Neocon regime has presented to us?
I guess you blind sheep don''t mind who lies to you, as long as you feel all warm and fuzzy!
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Posted by runningralph at 04:29 PM : Feb 21, 2008
+ report abuse
Man you are so full of it your eyes are BROWN! Every time you bootlickers get trapped you fall back on McCarthyism!! We BROKE the LAW and we LIED to our ONLY ally! Lets try to get a grip on your cowardly fear here long enough to try and understand how MANY new Terrorist we will create with acts like this. YOU do know this will create even MORE hatred for us don''t you Swastika Breath. That God we had progressives running things in the two World War''s... had you cowards been doing it we''d have lost and lost big time. Sieg Heil Bush
There are a ton of civilians there and military folk. No bad-guys though.
The reason libtards talk about DG is that the press isnt there so they imagine it as a big secret base. Same types who think aliens are at Area-51...LOL.
There are several bars, a few resteraunts, golf-course, and a ton of wild chickens. No prisoners.
Posted by darkmeat4 at 03:38 PM : Feb 21, 2008
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Typical Nazi! Try as hard as you can to make yourself appear Superior and to make those who oppose the Party and the fuhrer out to be inferior. OF course you NEVER address the issue...can''t do that can you swastika breath! God what rock did you freaks slime from under? Here we have this nation humiliated and embarressed on the FLOOR of the British Seat of Government and YOU must attack someone for being a "Lib". You people have NO morals and are without any sense of honor what so ever. Sieg Heil and Good Bye.
Maybe I am one. I know the US has to fight Islamic jihad, and I believed in the war against communism -when it was cold or hot. I was even involved in that one, no heroic deeds, but I did my part as ordered. If the US had not stood up against ommunist aggression, the world would be communist today. If we don''t stand up against jihad, Western civilization is doomed. The irony is that if western civilization falls the formerly communist nations will be the true survivors.
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Posted by runningralph at 03:20 PM : Feb 21, 2008
+ report abuse
That''s the most rediculous statement I''ve ever heard! So the nation has been embarrassed and humiliated. Your solution? Run those out who see the shame and humilation and want to do something about it? That''s INSANE!! We SHOULD be ashamed and we SHOULD do something about the horrible conduct of those who were SUPPOSED to represent WE THE PEOPLE. They did NOT do that because the AMERICAN PEOPLE do NOT do things like this! Sieg Heil Bush!!
Dont be dumb.
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Posted by darkmeat4 at 04:01 PM : Feb 21, 2008
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YOUR A FASCIST PLAIN AND SIMPLE!! You made NO effort to even DISCUSS this very embarrassing even. You made no effort to discuss the harm it will or could do to this nation. The NATION wasn''t even in your thoughts! It was all about attacking anyone who dared to go against the "Party" or the Fuhrer. You Sir are a FASCIST plain and simple. SIEG HEIL!!
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