EU committee chair welcomes 'secret prisons' disclosure

The vice-chair of the European Parliament’s special committee investigating CIA prisons in Europe today welcomed US President George Bush’s disclosure that terrorism suspects had been held in CIA-run prisons.

“By his admission that the CIA has indeed practised illegal kidnapping and detention, Bush exposes not only his own previous lies," said British Liberal Democrat Sarah Ludford.

“He also exposes to ridicule those arrogant government leaders in Europe who dismissed as unfounded our fears about extraordinary rendition.”

She said Bush’s acknowledgement proves that the European Union assembly probe and other European investigations have been effective in uncovering that the secret prisons were in operation.

European MPs and civil rights campaigners have long called on US officials to admit the United States used a network of secret prisons and have transferred prisoners between them on covert flights as part of the US-led war on terror.

In July the EU parliament voted to continue its investigation into CIA secret prisons for another six months.