cúisle mo chroí

The (fantastic) organization Reprieve today announced the release of a UN report (click that link to download the full report) into secret detention that exposes UK collusion in secret detention and torture. The investigation found, among other things, that the UK knew of the US’ rendition practices in 2002 but continued to hand them suspects with no process until well into 2004, and the UK knowingly received info from prisoners held in US ghost detention centers.

Surely the fact that the British government has never been held to account for its actions (torture, political assassinations, sectarian murders, collusion with loyalist paramilitaries and shoot-to-kill come to mind) in the North of Ireland gives rise to situations like this. An excerpt from the Reprieve release:

Worryingly, the report indicates that the UK intelligence services lack the oversight that would prevent crimes like complicity in torture from recurring in the future. It recommends that:

“To ensure accountability in intelligence co-operation, truly independent intelligence review and oversight mechanisms should be established… such mechanisms should have access to any information, including sensitive information…”

The report warns of the dangers of intelligence services keeping secrets from the bodies that are charged with policing them.

Clive Stafford Smith, Reprieve Director commented:

“Sadly, our government has teamed up with unscrupulous, Mafia-like regimes that are in the habit of disappearing people, using information extracted by violence, keeping secrets and protecting their thugs and cronies. It is shameful that it takes a UN report to reveal these shoddy practices to the British people. The victims are still waiting for an apology. ”

You’d almost think he was talking about the recent conflict in the North, wouldn’t you? Governments like the UK and the US will continue to get away with this until we work together to break the culture of impunity that allows this to continue to happen.