Allies may torture terror suspects, top UK ministers say

[Heidi]

Source: CNN

updated 22 minutes ago

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain cannot guarantee that its allies are not torturing terror suspects, two top government ministers said Sunday.

And it's possible that information used to thwart planned terror attacks was obtained through torture abroad, Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Alan Johnson said.

But they insisted that British security services do not mistreat people in custody.

"When detainees are held by our police or Armed Forces, we can be sure how they are treated," the ministers wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

"By definition, we cannot have that same level of assurance when they are held by foreign governments."

The ministers did not specify which of their allies practice torture, but they defended working with countries that might.



Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/08/09/britain.torture.denial/index.html

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Related Latest Breaking News thread: Britain warned on torture complicity

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

Disgusting

[ScottLand]

2. Well, hell, we used to say that.

Until the USA was caught doing it, we always said we never do it, even when it was clear we were outsourcing it. Now that there's no doubt, the message is, "Of course we did it and you're safe because of it."

But if they know or suspect their allies torture, then why aren't they doing something about it? I thought we western civilizations find that kind of thing unacceptable.

[elleng]

3. Pandora's bush?