UK admits British territory was used by USA rendition flights - Terrorism/WMDs/Israel/
22/2/08
Britain says two US planes carrying terrorism suspects refuelled at a US base on the British Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia in 2002, contradicting earlier denials. “Contrary to earlier explicit assurances that Diego Garcia had not been used for rendition flights, recent US investigations have now revealed two occasions, both in 2002, when this had in fact occurred,” British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told parliament. “In both cases a US plane with a single detainee on board refuelled at the US facility in Diego Garcia,” he said. The Government had previously repeatedly insisted that it was not aware of any British territory being used to transfer terrorism suspects outside normal extradition procedures since US President George W Bush took office in 2001.
See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/22/2169350.htm?section=justin
Israel nukes note fell from dossier
22/2/08
British officials excised a reference to Israel’s nuclear arsenal from its recently released draft dossier on Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction for fear it would harm relations with the Jewish state. Britain argued it was “inevitable” that British-Israeli relations would suffer if a reference in the draft was made public, The Guardian newspaper reported. It cited the full text of a witness statement submitted by a senior Foreign Ministry official to the Information Tribunal. The document reveals how the British Foreign Office successfully fought to keep secret any mention of Israel contained in the first draft of the controversial and now discredited Iraq weapons dossier.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23253951-25837,00.html