London
21 February 2008
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband has revealed that the United States used the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to transport terrorism suspects in 2002. VOA's Sonja Pace has details from London.
Miliband said he discussed the latest revelations with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"We both agree that the mistakes made in these two cases are not acceptable, and she shares my deep regret that this information has only just come to light," he added.
Speaking at a news conference during a visit to Brussels, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the new revelations about U.S. rendition flights are a "very serious" issue.
"We have just been informed by the United States of America about what has actually happened," he said. "The United States has expressed regret for us not knowing about these issues. We share the disappointment that everybody has about what has actually happened."
Mr. Brown said it is important to put in place procedures to ensure this never happens again.
The practice of rendition has been widely criticized, including by human rights groups who say the CIA snatched terror suspects and then transported them for interrogation to secret prisons in Europe or to countries where they faced possible torture.