Police investigate CIA's use of British airports
Independent News 20 December 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article334134.ecePolice have launched an investigation into persistent claims that the CIA used British airports to fly terrorist suspects for torture in secret camps abroad.
Days after Tony Blair insisted he knew nothing about such "extraordinary rendition" operations, the move by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) threatens to embarrass the Government.
It is also the first attempt by the authorities to examine detailed claims that CIA flights have touched down more than 200 times in Britain.
Michael Todd, chief constable of Greater Manchester, is expected to review evidence collected by human rights campaigners and interview senior police officers from 10 forces across the country.
The investigation will attempt to establish whether there is evidence to back claims that CIA flights used British airports as stopping-off points while carrying terror suspects to secret detention camps around the world. It could develop into a criminal inquiry.