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EU nations 'knew about CIA jails' | EU nations 'knew about CIA jails' |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Many EU nations were aware that the CIA used their territory for the transfer or detention of terror suspects, a draft European parliament report says. | |
The report follows months of investigation by a special committee of MEPs led by an Italian, Claudio Fava. | The report follows months of investigation by a special committee of MEPs led by an Italian, Claudio Fava. |
"Many governments co-operated passively or actively (with the CIA)," said Mr Fava, quoted by AFP news agency. | |
He accused top EU officials including foreign policy chief Javier Solana of failing to give full details to MEPs. | He accused top EU officials including foreign policy chief Javier Solana of failing to give full details to MEPs. |
The report echoed allegations made in June by the Council of Europe - Europe's leading human rights watchdog - that European states were complicit in illegal CIA operations as part of the US-led "war on terror". | The report echoed allegations made in June by the Council of Europe - Europe's leading human rights watchdog - that European states were complicit in illegal CIA operations as part of the US-led "war on terror". |
US President George W Bush admitted in September that the CIA had used prisons abroad for the secret detention of terror suspects, but he did not specify where the prisons were. | |
He insisted the suspects had not been tortured. | |
EU 'informed' | |
The draft report says several EU governments were aware of the CIA's secret detention and transfer of terror suspects. | |
It further accuses governments and top EU officials of failing to co-operate fully with the European parliament's investigation. | |
Mr Solana's evidence to the inquiry contained "omissions and denials", the draft report says. | |
And EU anti-terror co-ordinator Gijs de Vries was also criticised over evidence he had given. | |
Mr Fava's report singled out the governments of Poland and Romania of failing to co-operate with the investigation. | |
Both countries have strongly denied media reports that they tolerated secret CIA detention centres on their territory. | Both countries have strongly denied media reports that they tolerated secret CIA detention centres on their territory. |
The report says the US government had first informed EU member states in 2005 that it was using their territory to transfer terror suspects. | |
Over the course of three meetings with EU officials, "the Americans spoke in an explicit manner about the transfer system as a method in the fight against terrorism", Mr Fava told AFP. | |
Investigations urged | |
Mr Masri says he was abducted and held illegally in US detentionThe report speaks of at least 18 suspected CIA "extraordinary renditions" of terror suspects - the term used for transfers to third countries for interrogation. | |
They included the cases of a German, Khaled el-Masri - allegedly abducted in Macedonia and then detained in Afghanistan - and Egyptian former imam Abu Omar, allegedly kidnapped by CIA agents in Milan. | They included the cases of a German, Khaled el-Masri - allegedly abducted in Macedonia and then detained in Afghanistan - and Egyptian former imam Abu Omar, allegedly kidnapped by CIA agents in Milan. |
On Tuesday, a US court began to hear an appeal from Mr Masri after he lost an earlier lawsuit demanding damages and an apology from the US government. | |
Mr Fava cited at least 1,245 overflights or stopovers by CIA planes in Europe - some of which he said were probably prisoner transfers. | Mr Fava cited at least 1,245 overflights or stopovers by CIA planes in Europe - some of which he said were probably prisoner transfers. |
His investigation was launched after press reports last year claiming the US operated secret prisons in some EU states and had used others as staging posts to transfer terror suspects. | |
The draft report urges the countries named within it to launch their own investigations into whether they violated EU human rights law, the Associated Press news agency says. |