The blind leading the blind

The British government is spineless, and we are treated to another bout of obfuscation. It is becoming increasingly clear that the CIA were picking up alleged terror suspects from all over the world and flying them to secret prison locations in countries outside US jurisdiction. Britain was complicit in these illegal, clandestine operations, yet all our Foreign Secretary could do is write to the American administration for clarification. As if he didn't know.

Did those American planes land secretly in the UK? Is security at our military airports so poor that planes can land and take off without being noticed? Are not all movements recorded? Forget the so-called war on terror, if planes can come and go without being noticed.

This whole saga is slowly becoming yet another embarrassment for our government.  It is another example of the good old British double standard: “One rule for one and one rule for another”. The American and British governments have no qualms about breaking the law as long as they can justify it as fighting lawlessness or terrorism as they now call it.

If it was up to the British, nobody would ever have made this cowboy behaviour an issue. Thankfully, the Irish, Spanish, and now also the Germans, display a little more backbone.