ISC fails to answer APPG letter on rendition inquiry: Peter Oborne

Peter Oborne at the Daily Mail has criticised the Intelligence and Security Committee’s (ISC) “shameful” failure to respond to a letter sent by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition more than three months ago. The letter sought assurances on the ISC’s inquiry into rendition and torture, including its handling of the Libyan rendition cases.

On November 5th, Oborne wrote:

“It looked like good news when Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General, was appointed to chair the Commons intelligence committee and he promptly announced an inquiry into extraordinary rendition. But since then, evidence is emerging that the inquiry has been inert and sluggish.

In July, the all-party group on extraordinary rendition sent Mr Grieve a letter demanding assurances about its handling of the Belhadj case. More than three months has passed and there has been no response.

This is shameful. It would be a mark of dishonour — though no surprise — if the Grieve investigation ground into the dust.”

After this article appeared, the ISC provided the APPG with a copy of a brief response dated 26th July 2016. The Group had not previously received this letter, either electronically or in hard copy.

The ISC’s reply did not address most of the points in the original letter. APPG Chairman Andrew Tyrie MP has written back to the ISC asking for a more substantive answer.

Read the full Daily Mail article here.

Read the ISC’s response here.

Read the APPG’s response here.

Read the APPG’s original letter to the ISC here.