Bush's envoy sparks another diplomatic incident over war claims

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The US ambassador in London has been forced into an embarrassing retreat after his embassy clarified comments he made denying that the United States was involved in removing terrorist suspects to Syria. Robert Tuttle told Radio 4's Today programme last Thursday that there was no evidence that US forces had sent suspected terrorists for questioning in Syria, a practice known as "extraordinary rendition". The US embassy issued a statement yesterday acknowledging that there had been claims that a suspect arrested in New York had been sent by the CIA for torture in Syria.


It is the second time in recent weeks that Mr Tuttle has had to correct misleading statements about the actions of US forces, and provoked a fresh outcry from Labour MPs over the practice of extraordinary rendition. Andrew Mackinlay, a senior Labour member of the foreign affairs committee investigating the use of UK airports for rendition by the CIA, said: "It is troubling that they are contradicting their own assurances. We have no confidence in the denials that they have issued. Increasingly, a number of us ... don't believe what the US administration states any more. Nobody believes that this is not going on." The US ambassador provoked the row after he said on the Today programme that he did not think there was any evidence of renditions of suspects for questioning to Syria.


The highly secretive Intelligence and Security Committee, chaired by a former Cabinet minister, Paul Murphy, is to mount an inquiry into the use of British airports for the CIA flights, The Independent has learned. However, this reports directly to Mr Blair and is not regarded as sufficiently independent.

Their man in London
Robert "Bob" Holmes Tuttle, Republican fundraiser and Beverley Hills car-dealer, was sworn in as Ambassador to the Court of St James on 14 July, 2005. Tuttle's appointment came after nearly a year without a US ambassador, which sparked controversy over how seriously the US treats the position. Educated at Stanford University and the University of Southern California, where he gained an MBA, Tuttle is known with his wife, Maria Hummer, as a prominent sponsor and collector of the arts. Co-managing partner of Tuttle-Click Automotive Group, Robert Tuttle is a close friend of President Bush and his father. Tuttle's political career began in 1982 when he joined the White House staff as assistant to President Reagan. Reagan appointed Tuttle Director of Presidential Personnel in 1985. Speaking to students in Manchester after Hurricane Katrina, Tuttle criticised the Mayor of New Orleans and rejected claims that the aftermath revealed America's racial problems, saying: "It's not a race issue at all."

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article335226.ece














http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article335226.ece

[Trillo]

1. Why all the rumors of possibly going after Syria,

if the U.S. was "extraordinarily rendering" suspects to Syria?

This is all so convoluted. I'm so sick of the liars lying to keep us confused.

[pinto]

2. Ha ha ha ha, another used car dealer donor job goes bad....pathetic.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Democrats did not leave the position open for nearly a year.

Democrats did not advise or mislead this guy into lying, retracting, making excuses or whatever he is doing to mess up so badly.

Democrats did not create the rendtion program.

Democrats did not decide to create a dis-reality in this country or the world.

Republicans - out to torture and torment and then turn truth upside down, sideways, or toss it, juggle it, frost it, bury it, burn it.

Democrats are trying to expose it and stop the bleeding of our rights, our money, our future, our reputation, our kids.

[Cha]

4. Sounds like a typical

bush flunky ..I don't care how many MBAs he has from Stanford & USC..he should have gone for diplomacy.

What unbelievably stupid-ass representatives we have around the world courtesty of the bushites.