UK Airport protests over CIA 'torture flights'

The Times: More than 150 human rights campaigners staged protests at three airports against alleged secret CIA "torture flights" yesterday. MSPs joined groups such as Stop the War Coalition at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick to demonstrate over claims by Amnesty International that so-called "extraordinary rendition" flights have landed on Scottish soil.

They said that the UK would be acting illegally by allowing Scots airports to be used for any refuelling flights taking terror suspects to United States-friendly regimes where torture could be used in interrogations. Speaking from Edinburgh airport, Colin Fox, the Scottish Socialist Party leader, called for action from police chiefs and answers from Jack McConnell, the First Minister. "US denials that their regime traffics terrorist suspects for the purpose of torturing them are based on an Orwellian redefinition of torture, which excludes techniques that most civilised people would regard as torture," Mr Fox said. "It is an outrage that the UK Government accepts these denials. The Scottish people are not going to follow others into the murky depths of history, claiming that they didn't know what was being done in their name."

Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders Police said there were 50 protesters at each of the three airports and the demonstrations were peaceful with no arrests. Link