David Miliband claims of US threat over torture case 'slippery',

[SpartanDem]

Source: the Guardian

David Miliband, the foreign secretary, was accused yesterday of seriously misleading high court judges by claiming that the United States would stop sharing crucial intelligence with Britain if they agreed to disclose CIA documents showing how a UK resident was tortured.

Lawyers acting for Binyam Mohamed, who says MI5 was complicit in his torture, and for media organisations led by the Guardian, accused Miliband and his officials of making "false assertions" and "astonishing" and "extraordinary" statements to the high court.

Criticism centred on the threat that Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones said Miliband had claimed existed - namely, that if they ordered the disclosure of CIA information relating to Mohamed's treatment and Britain's involvement in it, the US would end intelligence co-operation with the UK.

The judges have made clear that they would have ordered the release of the CIA information but for Miliband's claim.In evidence to the high court, the foreign secretary and his officials clearly implied that they had been told Obama's administration took the same view as Bush officials, the court heard. But Miliband's claim that the situation had not changed was not backed up by any evidence, Dinah Rose QC, for Mohamed, told the court.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/23/david-miliband-binyam-mohamed-torture

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Things are getting intresting on both sides of the Atlantic.

[TheBigotBasher]

1. I want the role of the UK Government investigated.

If they were involved in torture then there needs to be prosecutions in the UK. Even if it means Blair.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. There is a separate case about that - last paragraph in this article:

A separate high court hearing yesterday was told that 17 MI5 and MI6 officers are to be accused of involvement in the extraordinary rendition and torture of seven British citizens and residents. Lawyers for the seven, who include Mohamed, said they had been victims of "systematic misconduct" by the security and intelligence agencies as well as the Foreign Office and Home Office.

[TheBigotBasher]

8. Sod the grunts.

If it was happening Ministers knew.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[Blackhatjack]

3. We might yet get information from British Courts that we still cannot get here in the US

This is a golden opportunity for the Obama Administration to shoot down this Bush Administration's conspiracy with UK's MI5 to hide evidence of war crimes.

[Hope And Change]

4. K & R!

[struggle4progress]

5. I do hope the judges are more than a trifle irritated by this

[Titonwan]

6. This is Hillary (and Barack) talking out of both sides of their mouth.

It all boils down to protecting complicit Democrats (Pelosi, Daschle, Hoyer, Rockefeller, Harman et alia) and like Digby and Greenwald and anyone with principle replies- bring it. I want Bush and Cheney with all of their minions/co-criminals to pay dearly for murdering our men and women (not to mention all the Iraqi's) serving in the armed forces over an aggressive war on lies and obfuscation. If "Democrats" did this, well, I don't want them representing my party. DINO's not wanted or allowed. START the investigations!

[SkyDaddy7]

10. Just curious...

Can you say why you are under the impression "Hillary (and Barack) talking out of both sides of their mouth"

The report said, "the foreign secretary and his officials clearly implied that they had been told Obama's administration took the same view as Bush officials, the court heard. But Miliband's claim that the situation had not changed was not backed up by any evidence, Dinah Rose QC, for Mohamed, told the court."

Miliband's claim that the Obama Admin was threatening not share intelligence like the Bush Admin. did was not backed by any evidence.

I think the Republicans are making the same claim that none of our allies will share Intel with us due to President Obama releasing such torture info to the public...I think this is just another excuse being used by the British as it is used by the Republicans who are scared of whats coming!

Like I have said many times here on DU, President Obama knows what he is doing and he is laying the groundwork for investigations to be done by other bodies without giving ammo to the Republicans that Obama is just seeking political prosecutions. Which would bog down any hopes of Health care, energy, or education reform. Obama has been two steps ahead of everyone since the day he spoke out against the Iraq War when no one else had the political balls to do so, all the way through winning the POTUS...Every step of the way most thought Obama was naive and would not make it, they were all wrong.

There is so much evidence none of us know about that is on its way to the public eye so I would be careful of making such claims of guilt on the current Admin. until you know the whole story. I am all about reasonable and responsible questioning of our elected officials but just because Obama is not attacking an issue exactly the way you would prefer does not mean he is not doing what is correct. Obama has shown time and time again that he is two steps ahead of everyone on both the left and the right everytime either side questions his decision making. But that is my opinion for what it is worth.

[Old Michigander]

9. The Miliband Family

have been loyal party members for many years and I choose to believe the Miliband side of the story.

[intaglio]

11. David Miliband one of the slimiest UK politicians out there n/t