Politicians and legal experts queued up today to warn ex-prime minister Tony Blair that his knowledge and tolerance of torture during the Iraq war made him unfit to continue as Middle East peace envoy.
The Guardian newspaper alleged that Mr Blair was aware of instructions given to agents regarding torture in the aftermath of the September 11 2001 World Trade Centre attacks.
The policy offered guidance to MI5 and MI6 officers who were questioning prisoners around the world in the event that they complained of being tortured by the US military.
Officers were apparently given instructions that they must not “be seen to condone” torture or “engage in any activity yourself that involves inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners.”
But the guidance made it clear that they were under no obligation to stop prisoners from being tortured.
“Given that they are not within our custody or control, the law does not require you to intervene to prevent this,” the policy stated.
Law professor and QC Philippe Sands said that the guidelines breached the UN convention against torture.
Referring to ministers’ reluctance to disclose information about alleged torture of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed, legal charity Reprieve director Clive Stafford Smith said: “We now know why the Foreign Secretary was so insistent on keeping this torture policy from the British people.
“It has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with the immoral decisions made at the highest level of government.”
He added: “When Binyam Mohamed was questioned by a British agent, he thought his torture would surely end. Instead, the agent was apparently under instructions from Number 10 to abandon Binyam to his fate.”
Liberal Democrat shadow foreign secretary Edward Davey said: “Surely Tony Blair cannot remain Middle East Envoy when he is accused of breaking the UN convention against torture.”
Tags: guidelines, Iraq war, MI5, MI6, peace envoy, Tony Blair, torture
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