Tony Blair received early torture warning, court told

[deminks]

Source: The Guardian

Tony Blair was warned a matter of weeks after American forces began rounding up terror suspects that British nationals held by the US in Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay were being tortured, secret documents disclosed in the high court reveal.

He expressed concern about their treatment after initially being sceptical, he admits in a hand-written note on a Foreign Office (FO) document dated 18 January 2002. It appears among heavily redacted MI5 and FO documents released in court hearings in which British nationals are suing the government, MI5 and MI6.

The partly redacted FO note refers to a visit to Guantánamo Bay by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "There will be intense press interest in any conclusions they reach on humanitarian issues," it says, adding that the ICRC was unlikely to make its views public.

An official adds: "This will continue to be a difficult issue to handle, both in procedural and legal terms with the US and in handling parliament and the media here."

Under the official's comment, Blair writes: "The key is to find out how they are being treated. Though I was initially sceptical about claims of torture, we must make it clear to the US that any such action would be totally unacceptable and v quickly establish that it isn't happening."


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/sep/28/tony-blair-early-torture-warning

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

I'd scream but...well, I won't finish that.

[bleever]

2. Tony thought he could manage Cheney/Rumsfeld.

Shades of Neville Chamberlain.

[AndyTiedye]

3. Blackmail

Blair knew better!

Bush & Cheney must have had something on Tony and were blackmailing him with it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. That headline could be vastly improved with the excision of its last three words. -nt

[Winterblues]

5. What is wrong with a little torture?

Virtually every Republican thinks it is just fine for America to torture people, and everyone knows Republicans are NEVER wrong about anything..

[Ghost Dog]

6. "v quickly establish that it isn't happening."

He means, be prepared to immediately lie about this (and, generally, spin-control the matter) if/when anyone comes asking.