CIA and MI6 implicated in Libyan documents...

[DanaC]

Some interesting and disturbing documents have been unearthed in Libya over the past few days. Including some that appear to show a very close relationship between the CIA, MI6 and Libyan intelligence.

Including it would seem occasions where MI6:

supplied its counterparts in Libya with details on exiled opponents living in the UK,

And the CIA

abducted several suspected militants before handing them over to Tripoli.

More disturbingly:

Other letters seem to reveal that British intelligence gave Tripoli details of a Libyan dissident who had been freed from jail in Britain. One US document stated the CIA was in a position to deliver a prisoner into the custody of Libyan authorities.

The papers, which have not been independently verified, also suggest the CIA abducted several suspected militants from 2002 to 2004 who were subsequently handed over to Tripoli. Human Rights Watch has accused the CIA of condoning torture.

"It wasn't just abducting suspected Islamic militants and handing them over to the Libyan intelligence," said Peter Bouckaert, director of Human Rights Watch's emergencies division. "The CIA also sent the questions they wanted Libyan intelligence to ask and, from the files, it's very clear they were present in some of the interrogations themselves."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...-files-mi6-cia


And from the BBC:

The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Tripoli says the documents illuminate a short period when the Libyan intelligence agency was a trusted and valued ally of both MI6 and the CIA, with the tone of exchanges between agents breezy and bordering on the chummy.

"It wasn't just abducting suspected Islamic militants and handing them over to the Libyan intelligence. The CIA also sent the questions they wanted Libyan intelligence to ask and, from the files, it's very clear they were present in some of the interrogations themselves," said Peter Bouckaert of HRW.The papers outline the rendition of several suspects, including one that Human Rights Watch has identified as Abdel Hakim Belhaj, known in the documents as Abdullah al-Sadiq, who is now the military commander of the anti-Gaddafi forces in Tripoli

The Americans snatched him in South East Asia before flying him to Tripoli in 2004, the documents claim.

Mr Belhaj, who was involved in an Islamist group attempting to overthrow Col Gaddafi in the early 2000s, had told the Associated Press news agency earlier this week that he had been rendered by the Americans, but held no grudge.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14774533

[footfootfoot]

[Griff]

Spot on, footsie!

[glatt]

Yeah, nothing there surprises me. The only thing that surprises me about all this is that the US was in bed with Libya, and then decided to go to war against it. Although with the time line, I guess this can be explained by the change in the White House from Bush to Obama.

[Undertoad]

The US was more in bed with Europe who wanted Libya done...




...possibly because they were afraid of a cascade of 1,000,000 immigrants they couldn't manage.

[classicman]

Wasn't oil for European allies an issue as well?

[Undertoad]

Yes and now that Libyan oil supplies are going back online, Europe has agreed to embargo Syrian oil.

[classicman]

Well at least someone cares about the Syrians :/

[TheMercenary]

Dana, are you completely sure of your sources, and can you authenticate their accuracy?

Sounds a bit sensationalistic to me.....

[DanaC]

Well, I'm not the one who uncovered it so, no not wholly sure of sources :p

The source I've quoted is the Guardian, which is usually quite good. It's also all over the BBC news site. I'm pretty confident these are solid reports.

[ZenGum]

@ f33t.

... but then sadly reflect that an outrage like this - delivering people to torture - doesn't even break through the surface of my world-weary cynicism. I may snort with contempt and think "not really surprised", and maybe even add "bastards!", but why should I do anything when I know it won't work because almost no-one else would be trying anything.

And that really worries me.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

@ f33t.

... but then sadly reflect that an outrage like this - delivering people to torture - doesn't even break through the surface of my world-weary cynicism. I may snort with contempt and think "not really surprised", and maybe even add "bastards!", but why should I do anything when I know it won't work because almost no-one else would be trying anything.

And that really worries me.

Not to worry Zen, MiniTrue has just reported that Oceania has defeated Eurasia.