EU politicians clash over CIA renditions report

European Union politicians clashed today over a report accusing the Republic of Ireland, Britain, Germany, Italy and other EU countries of turning a blind eye to CIA flights transporting terror suspects to clandestine detention centres.

EU president Germany said its wording should have been more reserved.

The Strasbourg report, concluding a year-long investigation into CIA activities that may have violated EU human rights laws, was to be put to a vote in the 785-seat European Parliament later today.

The report gives no direct proof that the CIA ran secret prisons in Europe – an allegation that prompted the inquiry in November 2005 – but accuses some EU governments and officials, including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, of not co-operating with the inquiry.

But many politicians said some of the criticism would have to be toned down in the final version to win cross-party support.

While Socialist and Liberal politicians argued the report had exposed a string of abductions incompatible with EU human rights standards, other parties warned it accused governments of complicity without sufficient proof.