Britain: US threatened to cut off intel if evidence of torture released

[babsbunny]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/UK_US_will_cut_off_shared_0204.html

Mike Sheehan
Published: Wednesday February 4, 2009



As if President Obama didn't have enough to worry about with the economy in turmoil and his cabinet nominees under fire.

Now the British government is alleging that the United States threatened to withhold shared intelligence if evidence of the torture of a British citizen at Guantanamo Bay is released.

The allegation was made by British foreign secretary David Milliband, who told the United Kingdom's High Court that if evidence was disclosed, the US would stop sharing intelligence with the UK, an action that would directly threaten British national security.

[Parker CA]

1. WOW! These are the kinds of bits of info that will hopefully begin to open some shuttered eyes to

the absolute bullshit the pukes and the neocon f-ers were doing. Un-f-ing-believable. K&R'd. This needs to be read and spread around. They were holding the safety of a nation in their greasy corrupt paws to cover their asses on the ILLEGAL actions they were knowingly committing.

[EFerrari]

2. Eight years of a rogue, terrorist government. We're lucky to be alive,

those of us who still are.

[Peace Patriot]

3. See this thread - comments #6, 7 and 8

Court docs seem to be saying that the Obama administration reiterated the threat, or (my guess) possibly hasn't reviewed it yet and rescinded it. The current situation is that the British court believes that the threat remains (that the US will withhold intel from the UK if the UK court discloses torture info). Gist of the doc is that Obama reiterated it, but I'm not sure of my reading of the doc language.

I remember this when it first happened, under Bush--and thought it quite appalling. What COULD be happening now is that Obama is protecting torturers. I would be more inclined to give Obama the benefit of the doubt, than I ever would Bush--is he had "national security" reasons for not wanting this info disclosed, but I'm afraid that it would mean something not so good, that he is protecting people who should not be protected, and if he reiterated the Bush blackmail threat to the Brits, then what he has done, in this case, is no better than Bush.

I'm withholding judgement. I'm not sure of the status of this.

[Parker CA]

4. There was no link to another thread. I'd be interested in seeing some more info on this. Thanks!

[babsbunny]

8. Here you go

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7870049.stm

Ministers face torture pressure

Davis: UK government should make it 'plain' it does not condone torture

UK ministers must answer allegations that Britain was complicit in torture, a senior Conservative MP has said.

David Davis said a High Court ruling on Wednesday alleged that Binyam Mohamed, a UK resident held in the Guantanamo Bay camp in Cuba, had been tortured.

The judges also said the US threatened to withdraw intelligence help from the UK if details were released.

But Foreign Secretary David Miliband said there had been no such threat and the UK "never condoned torture".

"There has been no threat from the US to break off intelligence co-operation," he said.

[Zywiec]

6. Guantanamo is still being run as if the Bush administration remains in control."

Who would have thunk it?

:shrug:

[Usrename]

9. This would be Clinton, wouldn't it?

Who else could be dealing with the Brits on this level?

[Peace Patriot]

10. So sorry! I forgot to post the urls. Here they are. Also another one, that says Obama did it.

Comments #6, 7 & 8
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3722310
Comment #6 has the pdf link to the court docs.

And see this Guardian article. The Foreign Office claims that Obama reiterated the threat:

"Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said last night: 'Despite best efforts to shine a light on the grubbiest aspects of the "war on terror", the Foreign Office has claimed that the Obama administration maintained a previous US threat to reconsider intelligence sharing unless our judges kept this shameful skeleton in the closet. We find this Foreign Office allegation ... surprising.' David Davis, the former shadow home secretary, said it implied that torture had taken place and British agencies may have been complicit."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/04/guantanamo-bay-torture

[deminks]

5. Klein: it's only Obama's mercy that stands between Cheney and a serious war crimes investigation."

Dayum.

[proud patriot]

7. still being bushed

:grr:

[defendandprotect]

11. Do they mean Obama or Bush??? Does anyone think we can ignore TORTURE....???