MI5's torture statement
Updated on 20 October 2005
Exclusive Channel 4 News has obtained the MI5 statment on the use of information extracted by torture.
Channel 4 News has exclusively obtained evidence from the boss of MI5, submitted to the House of Lords, which lawyers say makes the claim that 'torture works' in obtaining evidence against suspected terrorists.
Eliza Manningham-Buller gave her submission to hearing on the use of torture to obtain evidence.
Read and download the full document here: Statement of Elizabeth Manningham Buller (pdf document)."In some cases, it may be apparent to the Agencies that the intelligence has been obtained from individuals in detention ("detainee reporting"), though, even then, the Agencies will often not know the location or details of detention. "
""... experience proves that detainee reporting can be accurate and may enable lives to be saved."
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Citing a specific case, Manningham-Buller said; "No inquiries were made of ... the precise circumstances that attended their questioning of [Mohammed] Meguerba.
In any event, questioning of Algerian liaison about their methods of questioning detainees would almost certainly have been rebuffed and at the same time would have damaged the relationship to the detriment of our ability to counter international terrorism."
