Scotland: New Call for Rendition Probe

Communiqué de presse publié le 20/09/12 12:10 dans Europe par pour

News from Celtic League Press

The Celtic League has asked Scottish Police if they will open enquiries into possible criminal activity related to rendition flights. The move follows new evidence that intelligence services were using specific identified aeroplanes involved in the rendition process. The League say it appears a serious criminal investigation is being compromised by deference to political and intelligence interests in London.

The League has also urged the Justice Secretary to pursue the issue.

See attached correspondence:

The Chief Constable
Stephen House
Strathclyde Police Headquarters
173 Pitt Street
Glasgow
G2 4JS

09/09/2012

Dear Chief Constable,

The Celtic League wrote to you in December 2004 concerning allegations that Airports in your force area have been used:

as a refuelling base for a jet being used by American intelligence agencies to fly terrorist suspects to countries that torture prisoners.

We said:

I feel sure if persons being held against their will were transferred through your force area in this manner without the authorities being notified you would wish to check on their subsequent treatment and indeed establish if any of the
persons transported in this way had been ill-treated in any way before or after their arrival in Scotland.

Although you responded at the time as far as we are aware no serious attempt was undertaken to ascertain the veracity of these reports.

One of the aircraft allegedly used in these renditions was a Boeing 737 (serial number N313P) which called at airports in Scotland on several occasions. One of the problems in relation to pursuing this matter was (we understand) the fact that there was no corroborative evidence that this aircraft was involved in such rendition flights.

However, new documentation (recently published) shows that this plane was directly involved in these activities. The documentation is in the form of a memo from US and British intelligence officials to Libyan intelligence head, Musa Kusa, and it clearly identifies the aircrafts involvement in these activities and indeed also names those involved.

Can I ask if Strathclyde police, given that such strong evidence is now available, will seek to establish if any law was broken whilst this aircraft was using airport facilities in Scotland and specifically if the aircraft was carrying persons against their will to be tortured.

It does little to engender public confidence in the police when it appears that deference to political or intelligence service interference from the London government allows investigation of serious criminal wrongdoing to be sidelined.

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information

cc. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture
Justice Minister Scottish Government.

Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

09/09/12

Dear Minister,

I draw your attention to the attached.

I trust your Department will attempt to ascertain why no serious attempt has been made by Police in Scotland to pursue this issue. There is now growing evidence that aircraft connected to these scurrilous criminal acts were utilising airspace and airport facilities in Scotland.

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information