You may find this of interest

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has quietly asked the Attorney General to investigate MI5 and the CIA for possible criminal wrong doing in the torture of UK resident Binyam Mohamed. Mr. Mohamed was "rendered" to Morocco where his "interrogation" alleged included incisions on his penis amongst other indignities and degradations.

Could this be the end of a beautiful friendship?

It will also be interesting to see if any of the US press pick up the story. In addition to The Guardian the story has been covered here by The Independent, The Times and, rather surprisingly the right wing Daily Mail, although they couldn't bring themselves to use the word "torture" without putting quotes around it.

Friends like these

The British High Court has strongly (and quite rightly) criticising the American government for refusing to disclose evidence related to the alleged torture of Binyam Mohamed. Mr. Mohamed is a British resident who has been (illegally) held at Guantánamo Bay Beach and Leisure Resort for nearly six years. Prior to his incarceration at Gitmo American "intelligence" services has (illegally) "rendered" him to Morocco where Mr. Mohamed's attorneys argue the torture took place; the treatment included (blokes should take a deep breath before reading further) slicing his penis. The Guardian article goes on to say

In a particularly damning passage, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones said claims by Mohamed's lawyers that the US was refusing to release the papers because "torturers do not readily hand over evidence of their conduct" could not be dismissed and required an answer.

The British government is bravely siding with the Yanks because the American government is essentially threatening to take its ball and go home by withholding intelligence data.

Once again I am reminded that it is not only possible, but often necessary, to be ashamed of the actions of one's government.

Reprehensible

The US government is warning their good friends on Whitehall that disclosing any "secret" information about the alleged torture of British resident Binyam Mohamed before his illegal transfer to the Guantánamo Bay Beach and Leisure Resort, even if ordered to do so by the British High Court, will damage the security relationship between the two countries. Lawyers for Mohamed are insisting on access to all of the records of his detention and interrogation before being sent to Gitmo. The US has said it will make records available to the kangaroo courts in Cuba but not to Mohamed's legal team. Mohamed was held in Pakistan and Morocco, after be illegally "rendered" there by the US, and it is alleged that amongst other things he was tortured aggressively interrogated whilst (the weak of heart may wish to stop reading now) have his penis cut with a razor. MI5 is alleged to have participated in the abuse of Mr. Mohamed.

The end of a beautiful friendship?

The foreign affairs of the select committee in the British House of Commons has come to the conclusion that the British government can no longer trust the American government when it says it does not torture. Well who needs the bloody Brits anyway. I think Fiji's still on our side.

Good news for Gordo!

And God knows he needs it. If Barack Obama wins the election in November the British Prime Minister may no longer be required to drop his (or her) trousers and grab his (or her) ankles. Clearly this is yet another example of Senator Osama Obama demonstrating his unparalleled hatred for America.

At least they will know what they died for

The families of any British soldiers killed in Iraq from this day forward will undoubtedly be comforted to know that, after meeting with US General David "Will Save Us" Petraeus, Gordon Brown and his defence advisers have decided that British troops should remain in Basra for the foreseeable future in order to buy "political credence" with the US. There is a corner of some foreign field that is forever craven politicking.

Yes, things ARE different here

Alan Duncan is a Tory frontbencher. He is also openly gay and has announced plans to enter into a civil partnership with his partner James Dunseath. Mr. Duncan apparently "proposed" on Valentine's Day.

The reaction here? Not much of one. Now transplant this across the Atlantic and imagine a similar situation with a senior Republican. Scary, innit?

Losing our religion

Over 50% of Britons admit to having no religion.

Perhaps the US would be more comfortable finding a more religious nation, perhaps Iran would be a good choice, with which to have its Special Relationship now.

The end of a beautiful friendship?

The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been forced to apologise after suddenly becoming aware of the fact that the United States violated British and international law by using British airspace and air fields to conduct at least two illegal "extraordinary rendition" flights. No response from the Yanks as yet.

Finally the Royal Family begins to earns its keep

Prince Andrew has slagged off the Americans over Iraq and the failure of the other half of that "special relationship" to listen to the sage advice of the British as to what a shit storm was waiting for us. Oh, and he spent over 20 years in the Navy so we should probably consider this "listening to the Royals on the ground".

Could this be the end of a beautiful friendship?

It seems that the Brits aren't all that keyed up about that family values thing, at least using the American definition. Over the past twenty years marriage has fallen out of favour; gays are OK; families are a hodge podge of step & half siblings.

As for God; She fell out of favour a long time ago. I wonder when the US will close its embassy (and whether they will settle their bill before they leave).

All his lap dogs

Barney, the White House pooch and Captain Codpiece's other house pet, ex-Prime Minister St. Tony Blair co-star in this year's White House Xmas video.

Imperialist my arse! It's not like we just invade and occupy oil rich countries without a good reason!

You can tell that St. Tony Blair is no longer British Prime Minister. Were he still living at Number 10 (or did he live at Number 11?) he certainly wouldn't have allowed completely unwarranted attack on the sound, logical and Christian foreign policy of the United States by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Interim report card - Must Poodle Better

Captain Codpiece and his minions are decidedly unhappy with Prime Minister Gordon Brown's refusal to be as good as St. Tony was at grabbing his ankles and enjoying the ride.

"We're still mates, right?"

Our Prime Minister will spend sometime kissing the arse of my President tonight when he gives the annual Mansion House foreign policy speech and will promise to try to be a better poodle even if he will never be able to live up to the poodling standard set by his predecessor, St. Tony Blair.

Recall the ambassador!

The US Department of Homeland Security expertly detained a British cabinet minister, presumably on suspicion of terrorism, at Dulles airport in Washington DC yesterday.

In defence of the DHS Shahid Malik is brown AND Muslim AND had been running around the nation's capitol talking about acts of terrorism. He had been meeting with senior staff at the [drumroll] DHS! This is the second time Mr. Malik has been detained at US airports something that doesn't seem to happen to other, whiter cabinet ministers. Who says they aren't profiling passengers? Are they telling porkies again?

Another chink in that special relationship?

Godless Britain is to begin vaccinating 12 year old girls against the human papilloma virus thereby encouraging these girls to immediately go out, have sex and become sluts with tattoos and intimate body piercings.

What are they thinking?

The 'tache lashes out

Quite forgetting that he is no longer a representative of the American government former temporary US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton has accused the British government of cutting and running in Iraq and emboldening Iran. The luxuriously mustachioed Mr. Bolton was addressing a fringe meeting of extreme right wing Tories at the Conservative Party conference. I can only assume that David Cameron is less than pleased with his presence.