Difference between revisions of "UK/Torture"
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| − | {{ | + | {{Concept |
| + | |type= | ||
| + | |description=Officially, the UK government has not approved of torture for a long time, and does what it can to prevent it being carried out. Various cases such as [[Binyam Mohamed]]'s tell a different story, however. | ||
| + | |constitutes=Torture | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | {{SMWQ | ||
| + | |authors=Jack Straw | ||
| + | |date=2005 | ||
| + | |constitutes=Official denial | ||
| + | |subjects=UK/Torture, UK/Kidnapping, UK/War on Terror, conspiracy theories | ||
| + | |text=Unless we all start to believe in [[conspiracy theories]] and that the officials are lying, that I am lying, that behind this there is some kind of [[secret state]] which is in league with some [[US/Deep state|dark forces in the United States]], and also let me say, we believe that [<nowiki/>[[U.S. Secretary of State]] [[Condoleezza Rice]]] is lying, there simply is no truth in the claims that the [[United Kingdom]] has been involved in [[UK/Kidnapping|rendition]] full stop. | ||
| + | |source_URL=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-5716149/PETER-OBORNE-Former-foreign-secretary-Jack-Straw-men-shamed-UK.html | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | ==Official narrative== | ||
| + | In 1978, charged before the [[European Court of Human Rights]] with torturing [[IRA]] suspects, Britain swore "a solemn undertaking" that it would never again deploy these psychological torture techniques. (developed in conjunction with the US). On December 7 2005 the [[House of Lords]] cited this case and branding torture "an unqualified evil" which should have no place in the proud, thousand-year tradition of British justice.<ref>[http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=57336 Alfred McCoy on How Not to Ban Torture in Congress] Tomdispatch blog, 7 Feb 2006.</ref><ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldjudgmt/jd051208/aand.pdf THE LORDS OF APPEAL] Publications Parliament, SESSION 2005–06.</ref> UK Foreign minister [[David Miliband]] repeated the UK's official story that "Torture is abhorrent. Britain never supports or condones it".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jul/08/government-response-to-torture-claims 'Britain does not participate in or condone torture'] Guardian 8 Jul 2009.</ref> | ||
| + | ===Unanswered Questions=== | ||
| + | * Why has David Miliband insisted that the UK's interrogation policy should not be made public? | ||
| − | == | + | ==Historical Record== |
| − | + | After over 50 years of denial, the UK government finally admitted that it had tortured Kenyans involved in the [[Mau Mau Uprising]]. | |
| − | + | ==Whistleblowers== | |
| − | + | ===Craig Murray (Uzbekistan)=== | |
| + | [[Craig Murray]] was the UK ambassador to [[Uzbekistan]] until he resigned in 2004, citing UK support for [[torture]] as a major reason. | ||
| − | + | ===Ben Griffin (Iraq)=== | |
| − | + | [[Ben Griffin]] worked in the [[SAS]] for 8 years and in February 2008 game a speech condemning the UK's complicity in torture<ref>See [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb50-ouA-IA this YouTube video]</ref>. He was immediately served with an injunction to try to prevent him from speaking further about his experiences in SAS<ref>http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19444.htm</ref>. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ===Harry Ferguson (North Ireland)=== | |
| − | + | Ex-[[MI6]] [[Harry Ferguson]] in 2008 he stated that {{SMWQ | |
| − | + | |text=we don't use torture because it doesn't work. Like the [[CIA]] we had to learn the hard way. In [[Northern Ireland]], IRA terrorist suspects were waterboarded in the 1970s. Even using such techniques, it took time to overcome the subject's resistance and by then the intelligence gained was virtually worthless. | |
| − | + | |authors=Harry Ferguson | |
| − | + | |format=inline | |
| − | + | |subjects=torture, waterboarding, IRA | |
| − | + | |source_name=Huffington Post | |
| − | + | |source_URL=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3208649/James-Bond-tips-revealed-by-former-spy-Harry-Ferguson.html | |
| − | + | }} In 2013 he announced he would start a week-long hunger strike in solidarity with the [[Guantánamo Bay]] prisoner [[Shaker Aamer]], prompted by shame over the behaviour of [[MI6]] for whom he worked in North Ireland.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/10/mi6-officer-guantanamo-hunger-strike</ref> He registered regret that the "organisation of which I was once proud to be a member now supports policies including [[assassination]], [[rendition]], [[torture]] and [[detention without trial]]". | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ==Victims== | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | === Abdel Hakim Belhaj === | |
| − | + | [[Abdel Hakim Belhaj]] was "a Libyan national snatched by the [[CIA]] in [[Thailand]] in 2004 with “help” from the British [[MI-6]]. Belhaj was rendered to [[Libya]], tortured again, and sentenced to death, although he somehow survived the experience. Then-Prime Minister Theresa May eventually apologized to him."<ref>https://www.globalresearch.ca/time-uk-government-clean-ties-us-torture-program/5770772</ref> | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ===Baha Mousa=== | |
| − | + | {{FA|Baha Mousa}} | |
| − | + | [[Baha Mousa]] was an [[Iraq]]i civilian who was [[tortured]]ed to death during an interrogation by [[British army]] soldiers in Basra in September 2003.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jul/12/baha-mousa-public-inquiry Richard Norton Taylor and Own Bowcott The Guardian 29 December 2009]</ref> | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ===Binyam Mohamed=== | |
| − | + | {{FA|Binyam Mohamed}} | |
| − | + | [[Binyam Mohamed]] was taken prisoner by US forces in [[Afghanistan]] in 2003 and '[[extraordinarily rendered]]' to [[Guantanamo Bay]] in 2004. He was released without charge and returned to the UK as a free man in February 2009. As of July 2010 Mohamed was pressing a civil action in the UK courts against the UK government alleging complicity in his torture and secret rendition. After prolonged argument in the court, with the government and its security services strenuously opposed to their release, a series of documents were finally released to the public on 12 July 2010. | |
| − | + | {{SMWDocs}} | |
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==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
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Latest revision as of 19:28, 21 February 2022
 UK/Torture(Torture)   | |
|---|---|
| Interest of | Ian Cobain |
| Officially, the UK government has not approved of torture for a long time, and does what it can to prevent it being carried out. Various cases such as Binyam Mohamed's tell a different story, however. | |
“Unless we all start to believe in conspiracy theories and that the officials are lying, that I am lying, that behind this there is some kind of secret state which is in league with some dark forces in the United States, and also let me say, we believe that [U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] is lying, there simply is no truth in the claims that the United Kingdom has been involved in rendition full stop.”
Jack Straw (2005) [1]
Contents
Official narrative
In 1978, charged before the European Court of Human Rights with torturing IRA suspects, Britain swore "a solemn undertaking" that it would never again deploy these psychological torture techniques. (developed in conjunction with the US). On December 7 2005 the House of Lords cited this case and branding torture "an unqualified evil" which should have no place in the proud, thousand-year tradition of British justice.[2][3] UK Foreign minister David Miliband repeated the UK's official story that "Torture is abhorrent. Britain never supports or condones it".[4]
Unanswered Questions
- Why has David Miliband insisted that the UK's interrogation policy should not be made public?
Historical Record
After over 50 years of denial, the UK government finally admitted that it had tortured Kenyans involved in the Mau Mau Uprising.
Whistleblowers
Craig Murray (Uzbekistan)
Craig Murray was the UK ambassador to Uzbekistan until he resigned in 2004, citing UK support for torture as a major reason.
Ben Griffin (Iraq)
Ben Griffin worked in the SAS for 8 years and in February 2008 game a speech condemning the UK's complicity in torture[5]. He was immediately served with an injunction to try to prevent him from speaking further about his experiences in SAS[6].
Harry Ferguson (North Ireland)
Ex-MI6 Harry Ferguson in 2008 he stated that “we don't use torture because it doesn't work. Like the CIA we had to learn the hard way. In Northern Ireland, IRA terrorist suspects were waterboarded in the 1970s. Even using such techniques, it took time to overcome the subject's resistance and by then the intelligence gained was virtually worthless.” [7] In 2013 he announced he would start a week-long hunger strike in solidarity with the Guantánamo Bay prisoner Shaker Aamer, prompted by shame over the behaviour of MI6 for whom he worked in North Ireland.[8] He registered regret that the "organisation of which I was once proud to be a member now supports policies including assassination, rendition, torture and detention without trial".
Victims
Abdel Hakim Belhaj
Abdel Hakim Belhaj was "a Libyan national snatched by the CIA in Thailand in 2004 with “help” from the British MI-6. Belhaj was rendered to Libya, tortured again, and sentenced to death, although he somehow survived the experience. Then-Prime Minister Theresa May eventually apologized to him."[9]
Baha Mousa
- Full article: Baha Mousa
- Full article: Baha Mousa
Baha Mousa was an Iraqi civilian who was tortureded to death during an interrogation by British army soldiers in Basra in September 2003.[10]
Binyam Mohamed
- Full article:
Binyam Mohamed
- Full article:
Binyam Mohamed was taken prisoner by US forces in Afghanistan in 2003 and 'extraordinarily rendered' to Guantanamo Bay in 2004. He was released without charge and returned to the UK as a free man in February 2009. As of July 2010 Mohamed was pressing a civil action in the UK courts against the UK government alleging complicity in his torture and secret rendition. After prolonged argument in the court, with the government and its security services strenuously opposed to their release, a series of documents were finally released to the public on 12 July 2010.
Related Documents
References
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-5716149/PETER-OBORNE-Former-foreign-secretary-Jack-Straw-men-shamed-UK.html
- ↑ Alfred McCoy on How Not to Ban Torture in Congress Tomdispatch blog, 7 Feb 2006.
- ↑ THE LORDS OF APPEAL Publications Parliament, SESSION 2005–06.
- ↑ 'Britain does not participate in or condone torture' Guardian 8 Jul 2009.
- ↑ See this YouTube video
- ↑ http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19444.htm
- ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3208649/James-Bond-tips-revealed-by-former-spy-Harry-Ferguson.html Huffington Post
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/10/mi6-officer-guantanamo-hunger-strike
- ↑ https://www.globalresearch.ca/time-uk-government-clean-ties-us-torture-program/5770772
- ↑ Richard Norton Taylor and Own Bowcott The Guardian 29 December 2009
