Rendition and cover up

When Miliband senior made his assertions that the UK did not condone torture or had anything to do with rendition, did he appreciate that a few years down the track events would unfold in Libya revealing a very different tale.

“Other papers found in the building suggest MI6 enjoyed a far closer working relationship with Gaddafi's intelligence agencies than has been publicly known, and was involved in a number of US-led operations that also resulted in Islamists being consigned to Gaddafi's prisons.

On Sunday, one of the victims, Abdul Hakim Belhaj – now commander of the anti-Gaddafi militia in Tripoli – demanded an apology from London and Washington and said he was considering suing over his rendition to Tripoli and subsequent torture.

For several years, senior MI5 and MI6 officers have sought to deny that their agencies have been guilty even of complicity in the rendition operations mounted by the US after 9/11, and the subsequent torture of the victims.

The discovery of the papers suggests that on one occasion, at least, the British ran their own "rendition to torture" operation.”(my emphasis)

Guardian 5/9/11

For years Straw, Miliband, Blair and Howells have denied any wrongdoing. Miliband fought tooth and nail to suppress evidence from the courts. Howells poo-poohed any suggestion that MI5 or MI6 would get up to skullduggery. Straw? Well he is Straw, friend of arms dealers and oppressor of the Chagos Islanders on behalf of the Americans. And the reverend Blair? What an advertisement for christianity.

Out of the blue (and out of the wreckage left behind by Gaddaffi) emerge damning documents detailing just how cosy our security services were with the torturers and killers of the Libyan secret police. These arrangements to render people opposed to Gaddaffi were authorised at ministerial level. Even Howells was singing a different tune on the Today programme this morning. He still stuck up for the intelligence services but accepted that the documents raised serious questions.

There will be a massive damage-limitation exercise underway. It must not succeed. These nasty bastards were operating in our name. It is time to name names and send them to jail.