Not Quite As Severe As Direct Pressure

Liberty, the Liberal Democrats and Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition all think there should be a judicial inquiry into the possibility of collusion by Britain's Great Gamers in the torturing of Binyam Mohamed. Apparently a few slightly embarrassing love letters passed from MI5 to the CIA, wherein the Great Gamers begged the Global Cops for the chance to give of their inestimable wisdom: "We believe that our knowledge of the UK scene may provide contextual background useful during any continuing interview process. This may enable individual officers to identify any inconsistencies during discussions. This will place the detainee under more direct pressure and would seem to be the most effective way of obtaining intelligence on Mohamed's activities/plans concerning the UK," one memorandum oozed. MI5 claims that, despite its knowledge of the UK scene and useful contextual background, it did not know where the said detainee was or what sort of "direct pressure" was being applied because the CIA refused to say. It is not clear as yet whether this refusal was made on the CIA's own cognizance or requested by the British foreign secretary.

Andrew Dismore, the chair of the joint parliamentary committee on human rights, has said he will ask Agent Smith and the Upper Miliband to explain how Britain's policy against torture (or, in Standard English, Britain's policy in favour of torture) is being implemented. Given the degree of respect which Agent Smith and the Upper Miliband have shown for Andrew Dismore and the joint parliamentary commitee on human rights, it's no wonder that Britain's leading liberal newspaper believes all this qualifies as "severe pressure" on ministers.