UK-US Torture Coverup Continues

The Guardian Unlimited reports that Foreign Minister Jack Straw claims a thorough search did not turn up any US extraordinary rendition flights through the U.K.

The foreign secretary today said there was no evidence that US "extraordinary rendition" flights had passed through the UK.

Jack Straw said the Foreign Office had checked flight records and could not find anything relating to a rendition flight.

"Careful research has been unable to identify any occasion ... when we have received a request for permission by the United States for a rendition through the United Kingdom territory or airspace," Mr Straw told BBC Radio Four's Today Programme.

However, the Guardian says something different:

Last week, the Guardian revealed the details of more than 200 flights in and out of Britain by aircraft owned or controlled by the CIA.

The investigation found the CIA had used nearly 20 airports across the UK during the time when its agents had been moving terror suspects to other countries where they could face torture.

In addition to military air bases, the Guardian also discovered that the agency used civilian airports, such as Heathrow and Gatwick, during rendition flights.

Meanwhile, just in case there were any flights, Straw says it was Clinton's fault:

Mr Straw admitted that two requests for flights taking suspects to the US for trial had been approved during the Clinton administration. "This could be regarded as rendition," he said.

Sounds like Mr. Straw is getting his talking points from the White House, doesn't it?