EU foreign policy chief under fire over CIA flights

The failure of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to take action over allegations of illegal CIA renditions makes Europe look ‘pathetic’, MEPs have declared.

In a stormy meeting of the European parliament’s temporary committee on CIA allegations, Solana was accused of failing to act on allegations of torture.

“Surely you have a political obligation as secretary general of the council to investigate these allegations,” Liberal MEP Sarah Ludford declared on Tuesday.

“You claim that under the narrow remit of article seven of the treaty, you have no power to investigate – but you do have a political duty. Saying you can do nothing paints such a pathetic picture of the EU.”

Solana was addressing MEPs over what knowledge he had of the practice of illegal rendition flights on EU territory.

But while the foreign policy chief made some welcome noises on defending human rights, MEPs were not impressed with his inability to act.

“At the moment I cannot work in this area. Some would say this could create a negative image of the EU because we cannot take action,” he conceded.

“We need to win the hearts and minds of EU citizens and to do that we must stress that this is a joint fight with Muslims. But I have no information that tells me with certainty that any of the accusations made in the recent period are true.”

“Further, I do not have competence in my role to ask countries how they have handled these questions.”

The foreign policy chief argues that it is up to member states or the European commission to instigate procedures against other member states for human rights violations.

“Have I asked EU leaders formal questions on the practice of rendition?” Solana asked.

“No, I have not. When leaders ask me if there is rendition going on the EU, I say I do not have the information to answer.”

Incredulous MEPs repeatedly accused the foreign policy chief of shirking his responsibility.

“You are washing your hands of responsibility,” British MEP Roger Helmer declared.

“I cannot accuse or have a member state investigated,” Solana hit back.

“If we had a constitution, things might have been different but at the moment I cannot work in this area.”

Last week, an interim report by the parliament committee found that the CIA has carried out as many as 1000 secret flights through Europe since the 9/11 attacks.

The report also said that the CIA kidnapped terror suspects from European countries and took them to the Middle East or to the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay for torture.

But like EU anti-terror coordinator Gijs de Vries, Solana ruled out the practice of torture on EU soil.

“I trust EU member states to not obtain information through torture,” he said.

“If anyone has information to the contrary, I would like to see it.”

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