Spanish Foreign Minister questioned about Bush admission on CIA camps

9.11.28am GMT Fri 15th Sep 2006

Thursday 14th September, Parliament's temporary committee on the allegations into extraordinary rendition by the CIA had an exchange of views with Spanish minister for foreign affairs, Mr. Miguel Angel MORATINOS - the first minister to attend the TDIP meetings following President Bush's admission last week.

Sarah Ludford (UK, Lib Dem), Vice-president of the committee stated:

"Although I appreciate Mr. Moratinos' willingness to come and speak with us, I think we are still far from hearing the full story. His assertion that "no illegal act" took part on Spanish territory appears to disregard the circumstantial evidence of Palma de Mallorca being a "staging-post" for preparing illegal CIA rendition operations. I hope Mr. Moratinos and his colleagues will not remain in a state of denial over the extent of their knowledge or complicity with these practices."

At tomorrow's meeting of the General Affairs Council Mr. Moratinos, at the request of the TDIP MEPs, will ask the European Foreign Ministers to take a position on President Bush's statement on secret detention centres outside the USA.

For Ignasi Guardans (CiU, Catalonia, Spain), an ALDE member of the TDIP committee "We cannot doubt Mr. Moratinos' good faith in this issue and his commitment to the cause of human rights but unfortunately, today he has lost a great opportunity to clarify the role of the Spanish authorities in the U.S. program of extraordinary renditions, which has been using for years Spanish airports and airspace."

"It is a mistake and an evasion of political responsibility to limit this very complex issue to the possible commitment of criminal offences on Spanish soil, and to simply accept American statements of denial."

Mr Guardans asked the Spanish minister to explain his position in the light of factual evidence of flight details recorded in August and September 2004 between Washington, Spanish territory (Palma and Tenerife) and North Africa within 24 hours.

"Either Mr Moratinos is suggesting his country has lost partial control of its airspace or we are not being told the full truth. Whatever the case we hope other Member States will come forward and explain themselves before our Parliament."