EU concealed deal with US to allow 'rendition' flights

[kpete]

EU concealed deal with US to allow 'rendition' flights
By Justin Stares in Brussels and Philip Sherwell in Washington
(Filed: 11/12/2005)

The European Union secretly allowed the United States to use transit facilities on European soil to transport "criminals" in 2003, according to a previously unpublished document. The revelation contradicts repeated EU denials that it knew of "rendition" flights by the CIA.

The EU agreed to give America access to facilities - presumably airports - in confidential talks in Athens during which the war on terror was discussed, the original minutes show. But all references to the agreement were deleted from the record before it was published.



Asked in Parliament last week about reports of 400 suspect flights passing through British airports, Tony Blair said: "In respect of airports, I don't know what you are referring to."

The minutes of the Athens meeting on January 22, 2003, were written by the then Greek presidency of the EU after the talks with a US delegation headed by a justice department official. EU officials confirmed that a full account was circulated to all member governments, and would have been sent to the Home Office.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=JN1T2BZ3BS5LPQFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2005/12/11/wrendition11.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/12/11/ixportaltop.html

[melody]

1. Oh, now there's a surprise n/t

[Bluebear]

3. Really. Knock me over with a feather. nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

2. dirty hands under the table. K & R n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Link direct to story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/11/wrendition11.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/12/11/ixnewstop.html