Letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs from the Chairman of the Committee
At its meeting yesterday, the Committee considered
your evidence on 13 December, when you told us that:
Some of the reports which are given credibility,
including one this morning on the Today programme, are in the
realms of the fantastic. There was a report this morning on the
Today programme suggesting that intelligence staff from the United
Kingdom have been involved in interrogation and maltreatment of
detainees in Greece. Normally when you get allegations, however
fantastical, we choose to neither confirm nor deny them because
that is the only way you can protect intelligence, but let me
just say in respect of those allegations that they are complete
nonsense and no United Kingdom officials have taken part in any
alleged mistreatment in Greece of any suspects whatsoever and
we were not involved in the arrest or detention of those particular
suspects.
A report in the Observer of 1 January
("British admit being at terror grilling") has led members
of the Committee to doubt the accuracy and completeness of that
statement. The Committee has asked me to write to you to express
its view that—not for the first time—it has been told,
at best, only a part of the truth. My colleagues feel particularly
strongly that their questions on extraordinary rendition over
the last year have not been taken seriously.
The Committee will be considering whether to
invite you to appear before it to answer further questions on
rendition and related matters. Meanwhile, we would welcome a clear
and full statement from you on what did or did not happen in the
presence of British officials in Greece when 28 Pakistani nationals
were detained there last year.
I look forward to your reply.
Mike Gapes MP
Chairman of the Committee
12 January 2006
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