Clinton supposedly suppressing torture evidence

Here are a couple of wild headlines from the British press.

From The Guardian:

“Clinton moved to halt disclosure of CIA torture evidence, court told“

From the Daily Mail:

“Hillary Clinton threatens to cut spy links with UK over ‘torture’“

Basically, lawyers for Binyam Mohamed, a British resident and former terrorism detainee, want the High Court to disclose a seven-paragraph summary of CIA documents that allegedly support Mohamed’s claim that British intelligence agents were complicit in his torture in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Morocco.

In a written statement, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband claims that Secretary Clinton “indicated” to him in May that if the court disclosed the CIA material, it would adversely “affect intelligence sharing.” Clinton and the CIA are also said to have written letters stating that the United States would review its intelligence-sharing practices with Britain if the court discloses the CIA material.

Human rights activists say Miliband is just using the U.S. threat to avoid having to reveal the “ugly truth” about British complicity in torture. Lord Justice Thomas was doubtful about the threat to limit intelligence sharing, saying: “So the U.S. has taken the position that this is so serious that it is prepared to reassess its relationship with the UK and put lives at risk?”

So what did Clinton say or write? It’s hard to believe that she would threaten a complete cut of intelligence sharing if the material is disclosed. Yesterday, while meeting with Miliband, above, she even said, “The issue of intelligence sharing is one that is critically important to our two countries, and we have both a stake in ensuring that it continues to the fullest extent possible.”

Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images