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| Britain |
| No prosecution of MI5 officer over torture claims |
| 2010-11-18 |
| (KUNA) — An MI5 (domestic intelligence service) officer will not be prosecuted over claims he was complicit in the torture of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed, it was announced this evening. Scotland Yard launched an inquiry after Mohamed said an employee of the Security Service was aware of his ill-treatment while he was being held in Pakistain in 2002. But director of public prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer said there was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute the man, known as witness B, for any offence. In a statement Starmer said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has advised the Metropolitan Police that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute witness B for any criminal offence arising from the interview of Binyam Mohamed in Pakistain on 17 May 2002. Binyam who? Nope. Never heard of the guy... "We are unable to release further information at this stage because the wider investigation into other potential criminal conduct arising from allegations made by Mohamed in interviews with the police is still ongoing." The "wider investigation" is understood to refer to an inquiry into claims MI6 officials have also been linked to torture. Detectives from Scotland Yard's specialist crime wing are examining "the conditions under which a non-Briton was held" and "potential involvement of British personnel". A Metropolitan Police front man declined to comment. He said: "We will not give a running commentary." MI5 Director General Jonathan Evans welcomed the DPP's decision. "I am delighted that after a thorough police investigation the Crown Prosecution Service has concluded that Witness B has no case to answer in respect of his interviewing of Binyam Mohammed," he said in a statement. "Witness B is a dedicated public servant who has worked with skill and courage over many years to keep the people of this country safe from terrorism and I regret that he has had to endure this long and difficult process." Mohamed, an Ethiopian Mohammedan convert who lived in west London after seeking asylum in 1994, was jugged in Pakistain in 2002. He claimed he was tortured into falsely confessing to terrorist activities and held incommunicado without access to a lawyer for more than two-and-a-half years. Terrorist SOP ... The terror suspect said he was secretly transported to Morocco and tortured before being flown to Afghanistan and then Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in September 2004. The United States government dropped all charges against him in October 2008 and he was released and returned to Britain in February 2009. It emerged yesterday that secret payouts will be made to 16 former Guantanamo Bay detainees, including Mohamed. Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said the controversial move was necessary to avoid a protracted, complex and expensive legal battle. Others are believed to include Bishar Al Rawi, Jamil El Banna, Richard Belmar, Omar Deghayes and Martin Mubanga. Their allegations included claims that the Government knew they were being illegally transferred to Guantanamo Bay but failed to prevent it. Nope. Don't know them either. They a mariachi band or sumthin? There were also allegations that British security and intelligence officials colluded in their torture and abuse while they were held abroad. Other allegations included that British agents witnessed mistreatment, including the use of hoods and shackles. Starmer's decision could bring a broader inquiry into claims of British complicity in torture during the war against terror a step closer. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 In other words, they really DO have a license to kill. This is outsourcing I approve of! |
| Posted by: Lumpy Elmoluck5091 2010-11-18 10:36 |
| #1 ...Not too surprising. British law clearly and unequivically states that MI6 agents can NOT be prosecuted for acts committed in 'defence of the Realm.' In other words, they really DO have a license to kill. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2010-11-18 10:08 |