British foreign secretary David Miliband has denied that the Bush administration threatened to cut off sharing intelligence if a British court revealed evidence that one Binyamin Mohammed was tortured by US agents. We may find out in due course what actually happened. Ambers:
The idea that the U.S. would actually threaten to cut off intelligence cooperation with the U.K. is absurd. There are so many entagling operations, so many pre-existing agreements, so many pre-existing relationships so as to render that threat inoperable. But something spooked the British judges. And given the allegations, attention by reporters here in the states is required.
In their desperation to cover up or deny their own torture policy, Bush and Cheney are capable of a whole lot of shenanigans. William Hague, Tory shadow foreign secretary, provides the real conservative view:
"No British government should participate in or condone torture under any circumstances, and we are reassured by the court that the failure to disclose this material will not prevent the prosecution of anyone from this country who was complicit in torture. We hope the new US administration will look again at this decision, particularly since the judge concluded that there were no security reasons for the material not to be made public."
The Dish 