Ministers believe Briton was tortured by US officers (UK/Begg)

[struggle4progress]

UK calls for new US inquiry, saying that allegations made by former Guantanamo detainee are 'credible'
By Severin Carrell
13 February 2005


British ministers believe US interrogators could be guilty of torturing and abusing Moazzam Begg, one of the Britons released from Guantanamo Bay last month, The Independent on Sunday has learned.

Britain has rejected initial claims by the Pentagon that Mr Begg's allegations are unfounded, and has insisted that the US launches a second, more intensive, inquiry into his case.

The Foreign Office believes that Mr Begg, a former bookseller from Birmingham, has made "credible" allegations that he was severely ill treated by US intelligence officers at Bagram air base in Afghanistan three years ago. A source said: "There is genuine concern about the allegations which have been made. We want a proper investigation."

It has also emerged that ministers have complained in private to the US and Iraqi authorities about alleged abuses of Iraqi civilians and prisoners, after highly critical Red Cross reports and the scandal over sexual assaults at Abu Ghraib prison came to light. <snip>

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/story.jsp?story=610606