Government rejects inquiry into Britain’s involvement in torture

October 13th, 2009 Former world court chief joins UK Iraq inquiryLONDON — Britain's official inquiry into the war in Iraq has appointed a former president of the International Court of Justice to help advise it on legal issues. The Iraq inquiry committee said Wednesday it had appointed former judge Rosalyn Higgins to assist its investigation.

September 11th, 2009 UK: Police to investigate MI6 over torture claimLONDON — British police say they are investigating an allegation that the country's foreign spy agency was complicit in torture. Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who oversees MI6, said Friday the agency had referred a case itself to the country's chief legal adviser, who ruled police should carry out an inquiry.

September 11th, 2009 UK police to investigate spy over torture claimLONDON — Britain's foreign intelligence agency MI6 reported one of its officers to authorities amid new concerns over the country's possible complicity in torture, prompting police to launch an investigation Friday, officials said. MI6 referred an incident to the government's chief legal adviser, Patricia Scotland, who ruled police should carry out an inquiry, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

September 11th, 2009 UK police probe spy agency MI6 on torture claimLONDON — British police are investigating an allegation that the country's MI6 overseas spy agency was complicit in torture, the second inquiry launched in recent months examining the conduct of the country's spies. Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who oversees MI6, said the agency had referred a case to the government's chief legal adviser Patricia Scotland, who ruled that police should carry out an inquiry.

August 10th, 2009 LONDON - The head of Britain's MI6, Sir John Scarlett, has insisted that the British secret service works on a basis of "no torture and no complicity in torture". "Our officers are as committed to the values and the human rights values of liberal democracy as anybody else," Scarlett told the BBC Radio 4 programme.

August 10th, 2009 UK chief says spies not complicit in tortureLONDON —Britain's foreign spy chief denied in an interview broadcast Monday that agents tortured terror suspects or that Britain colluded with countries that use torture. John Scarlett's claim comes amid growing calls for an official inquiry into how much the government knew about the treatment of terror suspects overseas.

August 10th, 2009 LONDON - Two senior British ministers on Sunday said they could not rule out that vital anti-terror information had been obtained through the torture of suspects abroad. In the wake of this disclosure, campaigners have called for a judicial inquiry against British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Alan Johnson, even as they both strongly denied allegations of British collusion in the abuse of terror suspects overseas.

August 4th, 2009 LONDON - British intelligence agencies, MI5 and MI6, have been accused of being "woefully unaccountable" for allegedly using torture methods of questioning detainees overseas. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has called for a public inquiry into allegations of torture, The Telegraph reports.

August 4th, 2009 British lawmakers seek inquiry into torture claimsLONDON — The British government has refused to answer questions about whether its spies were complicit in the torture of terrorist suspects, and only an independent inquiry can clear the air and restore public confidence, a committee of lawmakers said Tuesday. Government officials say Britain does not condone or participate in torture, but officials have avoided answering specific allegations that Britain participated indirectly by obtaining intelligence from suspects who had been tortured overseas, or sending agents to visit suspects who suffered mistreatment in foreign facilities.

August 4th, 2009 LONDON - The British government came under increased pressure Tuesday to answer allegations that its intelligence agencies were complicit in the torture of terrorism suspects abroad. The Joint Human Rights Committee of the British parliament said in a report that there was now a "disturbing number of credible allegations" of British complicity in torture concerning suspects detained in the wake of the Sep 11, 2001 attacks in the US.

June 18th, 2009 UK may allow public hearings in Iraq war inquiryLONDON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown backed down Thursday on a decision that an inquiry into the Iraq war be held in private, inviting the panel's chairman to indicate whether some sessions could be held in public. An independent panel will begin work next month to examine mistakes made before, during and after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

June 15th, 2009 LONDON - The British government is to hold a "fully independent" inquiry into its involvement in Iraq that will have "unprecedented scope" but will be held behind closed doors, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday. "No British document and no British witness will be beyond the scope of the inquiry," said Brown.

April 30th, 2009 LONDON - Britain Thursday ended its six-year-old combat mission in Iraq but Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced immediate calls for an inquiry into the war despite labelling it a 'success'. 'Today's Iraq is a success story.

March 25th, 2009 LONDON - The British government will order a comprehensive independent inquiry into the planning and conduct of the Iraq war once the bulk of combat troops have come home by the end of July, Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced Wednesday. A full inquiry would be set up 'as soon as practical' after July 31 when British troop levels will have been reduced to 400 from the current 4,100 troops still stationed in southern Iraq.

March 19th, 2009 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that his government will publicly disclose for the first time guidelines MI5 uses when interrogating suspects. Brown, in a written statement to the House of Commons, said the step is being taken to "protect the reputation of our security and intelligence services" and to demonstrate that Britain does not torture suspects.