EU states urged to investigate CIA 'terror flights'
24.01.07
The European parliament has urged member states to investigate so-called 'terror flights' by the CIA, and condemned the UK for failing to cooperate properly with its inquiry into the matter. It is alleged that Prestwick airport in Scotland was used for CIA flights.
The final report by a European parliament committee said more than 1,200 CIA-operated flights had used European airspace between 2001 and 2005. It accused some European countries of 'turning a blind eye' to the flights, a number of which were allegedly used to transport terrorism suspects illegally. The US intelligence agency may also have operated secret jails for terrorism suspects at US military bases around Europe, according to the report.
The committee called the renditions 'an illegal instrument used by the USA in the fight against terrorism', and condemned some European states for their 'acceptance and concealing' of the process. However, the committee members said it was now not possible to say conclusively whether a secret detention centre was located in Poland. An earlier draft of the report, in November, said such a facility was thought to have operated at Stare Kiejkuty in the country.
The report concluded by recommending that national governments and parliaments launch their own independent investigations into what happened. It also urged states to have specific laws to 'regulate and monitor the activities of third countries' secret services on their national territories'. The report goes to a vote of the full parliament next month.
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