Rendering Unto Caesar Mr Tony

Coverups, coverups everywhere you look.

This morning we’ve got the UK Association of Chief Police Officers – tasked to investigate allegations that the UK colluded with the CIA in extraordinary rendition, specifically through Scottish airports – giving their investigation’s findings.

Manchester Chief Constable Michael Todd, the chair of ACPO who delivered the findings, is also currently a member of the ACPO Terrorism Committee and the ACPO Media Advisory Group.
No conflict there then.

And bear in mind this report comes after the decision of the ‘independent’ police complaints authority that the police did no wrong in shooting the innocent Jean-Charles de Menezes in the head 7 times on the tube 2 years ago.

Can you guess what they reported yet? Bingo!

“A statement released by Acpo said: “The issue of rendition has been aired extensively in the media and has featured prominently in official reports over a recent period of months.

“Mr Todd has now examined all of the information available relating to this issue and has concluded that there is indeed no evidence to substantiate Liberty’s allegations.
Chief Constable Michael Todd responded to Liberty’s complaint

“There was no evidence that UK airports were used to transport people by the CIA for torture in other countries.” [My emphasis]

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again (and again no doubt) -yeah, right, and I’m Marie of Rumania.

Here’s your bloody evidence, Chief Constable, you tosser.

These are not even very good coverups, most of them; blow on them with a breath of publicity or poke them with an established fact and they collapse. But still public servants and politicians utter untruth brazenly and blatantly, even though both we and they know it is a lie.

It’s that blatancy that really winds me up. To say something isn’t so when it patently is and there’s plenty of credible evidence to show it is is treating us, the public like mugs.

Do they really think we are that stupid? That we can’t read or google? The evidence that EU governments, including and especially ours, colluded in US rendition and torture is there online for everyone to see that wants to.

Chief Constable Todd and his colleagues have obviously been watching too much Life On Mars. They’ve grown nostalgic for the 70’s, when all these little annoying political difficulties were smoothed over, with a nod, a wink and a drink at the 19th hole or the lodge. Nothing to see here, move along, get back to your Tescos and your gas bill.

I’ve no doubt that when challenged ACPO’ll have a nice pat answer. I bet these findings rest on a fine, jesuitical interpretation of the words ‘available evidence’ and what exactly the meaning of ‘rendition’ is. But arguing language and technicalities is what people with no subtantive moral argument do and if they think we can’t see that then they they’ve woefully underestimated us.

This report is ACPO spinning, hand in hand with No.10 and the MOD. Independent investigation, my left tit.

No doubt this is payback to New Labour for all the lovely new powers and money they’ve poured down the insatiable, gaping maw of the authoritarian, greedy UK police. Mr. Todd himself is a big fan of tasers:

Video: Manchester Chief Constable Michael Todd invites his fellow officers to taser him…

Or maybe it’s something darker behind this maty complicity. New Labour came to power 10 years ago pledging to clean up a corrupt police force:

Nearly half of all police forces in England and Wales have officers facing charges of corruption or dishonesty, according to a survey by The Times newspaper.

Altogether 105 police officers in 19 out of 43 forces are under investigation.

They include high-ranking officers such as superintendents and detective chief inspectors.

London’s Metropolitan Police has by far the greatest problem with 51 officers suspended.

The survey results come days after Home Secretary Jack Straw warned senior officers that a “corrupt few” were damaging the reputation of a majority of honest members of the force.

A lot of dirt came out in those investigations, but did we ever hear any more about it? No wonder No.10 and ACPO are such good friends these days.

Hmmm. Wonder if we’ll see be seeing any ACPO members named in Tony’s resignation honours list?