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Intelligence and Security Committee 'on trial', says former security chief

Sir David Omand, former head of GCHQ, says that the ISC may need to be reformed if its new powers under the Justice and Security Act are not sufficient to enable it to do its job.  More can be read here.

MI5 accused of complicity in torture of man detained in Egyptian prison

Ahmed Diini, grandson of former Somalian dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, claims he was tortured by Egyptian security services in a Cairo prison and recruited by a MI5 agent to work for the security service.  More can be read here.

Home Affairs Select Committee Report Discusses Need for Strengthened Oversight of Intelligence and Security Agencies

The Home Affairs Committee's report on Counter-Terrorism recommends that Commons membership of the Intelligence and Security Committee be elected like other select committees and that the chairman ought to be subject to election of the whole House and should always be a member of the largest opposition party (paragraph 158).  The report can be read here. 

Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA rendition programme may be released in the summer

The CIA is currently is currently conducting a declassification review of the document.

 

More can be read here.

UK allegedly trying to block publication of US Senate Intelligence Committee report on rendition

Claims have emerged that the British Government has lobbied against the release of material in the Senate Intelligence Committee's report about Abdul Hakim Belhaj's rendition to Libya, which was allegedly a joint CIA-MI6 operation. More can be read here.

Claims Emerge that CIA ran a 'black site' at Diego Garcia

Reports in the media state that the British Government gave its 'full cooperation' to the CIA to hold detainees at a 'black site' on Diego Garcia.  More can be read here and here.

Findings of Senate Intelligence Committee Report Leaked

Parts of the classified Senate Intelligence Committee report on the extraordinary rendition programme have been leaked, increasing pressure on the White House to declassify the report quickly.  More can be read here. 

Blair 'knew about Extraordinary Rendition Programme' from the Beginning

According to the Telegraph, Tony Blair and Jack Straw were regularly briefed on the US extraordinary rendition programme by MI6 and were shown US Department of Justice legal opinions declaring enhanced interrogation techniques lawful.  More can be read here.