They claim they were tortured, and the British government is going to pay them off rather than reveal intelligence secrets. More courtroom jihad: “Government to compensate ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees,” from the BBC, November 16 (thanks to all who sent this in):
Around a dozen men, who accused British security forces of colluding in their torture overseas, are to get millions in compensation from the UK government.
Some of the men, who are all British citizens or residents, were detained at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba.
At least six of them alleged UK forces were complicit in their torture before they arrived at Guantanamo.
A ministerial statement on the out-of-court settlement is due to be made in the House of Commons later on Tuesday.
It is believed the government wanted to avoid a lengthy and costly court case which would also have put the British secret intelligence services under the spotlight.
Bisher al-Rawi, Jamil el Banna, Richard Belmar, Omar Deghayes, Binyam Mohamed and Martin Mubanga were among those who had begun High Court cases against the government.
They had claimed that UK intelligence agencies and three government departments were complicit in their torture and should have prevented it.
In May, the Court of Appeal ruled that the government was unable to rely on “secret evidence” to defend itself against the six cases….