Britain broke law if it allowed secret CIA flights (AFP) Updated: 2005-12-05 17:13
Britain broke international law if it allowed secret flights operated by the
US CIA to land on its soil, according to an expert report to be discussed in
parliament Monday, the Guardian daily said.
Simply allowing planes carrying detainees in the US "war on terror" to
refuel in Britain would be a breach of the law, according to the opinion framed
by New York University experts commissioned by a non-partisan parliamentary
group.
"A state which aids or assists another state in the commission of an
internationally wrongful act by the latter is internationally responsible for
doing so," the newspaper quoted the report as saying.
The all-party group set up in September on the issue of rendition --
transferring detainees to countries where they can be questioned outside the
protection of US law -- will meet for the first time in parliament on Monday.
It is probing allegations that CIA flights had transited at least 210 times
through British civilian and military airports since the September 11, 2001,
attacks on the United States.
The left-leaning newspaper also published five photographs of planes
"believed to have been operated by the CIA through 'front' companies."
The controversial flights by the US Central Intelligence Agency, the US
secret service, are expected to dominate a European tour this week by US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
She was to arrive in Berlin late Monday and meet with Germany's new
Chancellor Angela Merkel early Tuesday.
Press reports began emerging in February that detainees stopped at European
airports en route to third countries known to practice torture -- such as Egypt,
Jordan, Morocco and Syria.
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