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Britain knew CIA tortured detainee

By Robert Verkaik, Law Editor

The judgement revealed Binyam Mohamad was treated the same way as an al-Qa'ida suspect tortured by the CIA

AFP/Getty

The judgement revealed Binyam Mohamad was treated the same way as an al-Qa'ida suspect tortured by the CIA

Britain knew that American agents were using barbaric torture techniques on terror suspects, including British resident Binyam Mohamed, it emerged yesterday. Secret reports sent between MI5 and the CIA in 2002 reveal that the American security services were using torture practices which included waterboarding, facial slaps and stress positions.

The extent of Britain's knowledge was made clear in the latest High Court judgment in the case of Binyam Mohamed, who claims Britain actively colluded in his torture while he was being unlawfully held by the Americans in Morocco seven years ago. Mr Mohamed alleges that his torture included the cutting of his genitals with a razor blade.

Yesterday's judgment says the treatment of Mr Mohamed was similar to that of Abu Zubaydah, allegedly a high-ranking al-Qa'ida terrorist who was subjected to the 10 torture practices used by the CIA at Guantanamo Bay.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, had argued that revealing details of the 10 torture techniques would threaten Britain's intelligence-sharing relationship with the US. But President Barack Obama ordered their publication earlier this year and the judges concluded they could refer to them. The first of the two reinstated paragraphs reads: "One of those memoranda dated August 1 2002, from Mr J S Bybee, Assistant Attorney-General, to Mr John Rizzo, acting General Counsel of the CIA, made clear that the techniques [the alleged torture of Binyam Mohamed] described were those employed against Mr Zubaydah, alleged to be a high-ranking member of al-Qa'ida."

The rest of the paragraph, which remained redacted from public versions of the judgment, is a quotation from the memo made public by Mr Obama.

In their latest ruling in the former Guantanamo detainee's case against the Foreign Office, the judges said: "Of itself, the treatment to which Mr Mohamed was subjected could never properly be described in a democracy as 'a secret' or an 'intelligence secret' or 'a summary of classified intelligence'."

The human rights group Reprieve accused Mr Miliband of using an "Alice in Wonderland" argument to suppress the details of the torture of Mr Mohamed. Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Edward Davey said: "David Miliband must end this shameful episode now."

Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones had redacted passages from a previous judgment after hearing argument on behalf of Mr Miliband that disclosure could jeopardise the UK's intelligence-sharing relationship with the US. They said the redacted material should be put back in because it was "essential" to their reasoning and no threat to national security. But the passages, apart from two paragraphs to which the Foreign Office no longer objects, will still not be made public yet because Mr Miliband is taking the issue to the Court of Appeal next month.

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Comments

What do you expect
[info]stickytruth2 wrote:
Friday, 20 November 2009 at 07:13 am (UTC)
This country of our is controlled by wimps in the HoC who know nothing of running our country, so the American step, it was a few years ago an American was quoted in a UK news paper "we can take who we like out of your country" and now think about the Hacker? The spy and hack on their so called friends and allies., the sooner we them tell to sod off the better.
BUT WAIT, the conservaties now accepting cash from the Pro Israeli Group this must be stopped for the sake of our country, as the former PIG control America from top to bottom along with the neocons.
Re: What do you expect
[info]sameth99200 wrote:
Friday, 20 November 2009 at 10:55 am (UTC)
The simple fact is the UK is a vassal state of the US, has been since the end of WW2. The 'Special Relationship' is one of subservience and only goes one way.
(no subject) - [info]elivebuy - Saturday, 21 November 2009 at 12:56 am (UTC) Expand
David Miliband - EU Foreign Minister?
[info]mannygoldstein wrote:
Friday, 20 November 2009 at 07:54 am (UTC)
Is it not incredible that this man could have seriously been considered for a senior role within the EU?

The man who cheated his way into university and has failed to achieve any significant goal as a senior politician in the Labour administration has now been exposed as someone who colluded in the cover-up of the torture of a British citizen by a supposed ally, the U.S.

Fearful of exposure, he attempted to use the concept of 'national security' to cover his activities, but this fig-leaf has now been removed.

"Banana" Miliban should now receive the appropriate treatment by the electorate at the next general election!
They also knew
[info]freddyfresh wrote:
Friday, 20 November 2009 at 09:03 am (UTC)
that the extraordinary rendition program sent people, often innocent, to Uzbekistan, where the detainees children were tortured in front of them. They also boil people alive if they do not make false confessions that they are working for this Al-qaeda terrorists group which doesn't really exist. Al-qaeda is the name of a military database.
SNAKE
[info]frase33 wrote:
Saturday, 21 November 2009 at 12:19 am (UTC)
Bananaman......Milliband....
You truly are a disgusting, slimy, lying, smarmy individual.
Hope the truth all comes out....
Orange jump suits
[info]frase33 wrote:
Saturday, 21 November 2009 at 12:22 am (UTC)
Can we waterboard Milliband and Bliar?
Put them in a couple of orange jump suits?
See how toughthey are then....Scumbags....

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