UK Pays for Torture Claims After Years of 'We Don't Do That'
The British government has agreed to a 'substantial sum' to settle claims by a former Guantanamo detainee, effectively acknowledging their role in the US-led program that included indefinite detention and alleged torture. This comes after years of official denials and sidestepping questions about the extent of UK intelligence involvement in the illegal rendition operations sanctioned under the
'War on Terror.' Think of all the parliamentary debates, the solemn pronouncements, the 'firm assurances' that such barbarity was incompatible with British values – all now seemingly priced into a settlement. It’s almost as if the 'rule of law' is less about justice and more about how much money it costs to keep certain ugly truths from fully seeing the light of day. For a mere 'substantial sum,'
the public gets to pretend this chapter is closed, rather than demand accountability from the officials who authorized or turned a blind eye to fundamental human rights abuses. What's the going rate for a country's moral standing these days? Apparently, less than full transparency.