Britain's role in war on terror revealed

· 200 ghost flights logged across nearly 20 airfields
· MPs urge government to state level of cooperation
The Guardian

The full extent of British logistical support for the CIA's secret "ghost flights" emerged yesterday as Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said the agency's operations were "a vital tool" in the campaign against terrorism.The Guardian publishes for the first time today the details of more than 200 flights in and out of Britain of aircraft owned or controlled by the CIA. The agency has used almost 20 airports across the UK during the period when its agents have been snatching terror suspects and taking them to countries where they may be tortured. As well as enjoying access to a number of RAF bases, the agency has been flying in and out of civilian airports across the country. Its destinations include not only major airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick, but small airports at Bournemouth on the south coast and Wick in the north of Scotland.

Last night MPs, who have formed a campaign group to challenge British support for the CIA's so-called extraordinary renditions programme, met for the first time and demanded that the government come clean about the use of UK facilities. The all-party parliamentary group on extraordinary renditions was presented with a report by American legal academics which suggested that Britain may be breaking international law by "acquiescing" in torture.

The CIA has been moving detainees around the world to a number of secret prisons, using aircraft owned by front companies or leased for short periods. Ms Rice said yesterday that "renditions take terrorists out of action and save lives".

Using publicly-available information from the US federal aviation administration, as well as European air traffic data, the Guardian has compiled a detailed log of the CIA's flights in and out of the UK during the period that the rendition programme has been operating.

There have been more than 210 flights in and out of the country since the attacks of September 11. One Gulfstream V executive jet, for example, which has changed its tail number several times and has been linked with a number of abductions, is a regular visitor to Glasgow airport, and also flies in and out of Luton, Northolt and Brize Norton.

Some aircraft have stopped in the UK for short refuelling stops, but at other times they have remained in the country for several days. But there is no evidence that any detainees have been on board aircraft when they have stopped in the UK and many of the flights are thought to be unconnected with renditions.

Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, responded to Ms Rice by saying that "all European countries fully share the determination expressed here by the US to protect our citizens from the threat of terrorism, clearly while operating within international law and our treaty obligations". Such was the threat of suicide attacks after September 11 and July 7, he said, that "it is right that democracies should discuss these issues, including the importance of the legal framework, which we all observe. Secretary Rice's reply makes clear that US policy is to comply with the UN convention against torture."

The Tory MP Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the parliamentary committee, questioned the value of the assurances sought from countries where suspected terrorists were sent that they would not be tortured."We have to ask ourselves how valuable assurances of that type are from countries such as Egypt, Syria and Libya," he said." I think it is highly likely that some of these people will have been tortured."

He said the committee would ask Mr Straw to give evidence to it, adding that the MPs were "not prepared to put up with vacuous replies".

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, described Ms Rice's admission as disingenuous. "What possible purpose is served by rendition other than to subject individuals to harsher treatment than would otherwise be the case?" he asked.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, said any suggestion from Ms Rice that the ends justified the means "would give dangerous ammunition to every dictator and terrorist around the world".