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Spies-R-Us
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Thursday, March 2, 2006 12:26 PM
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| 2/3/06 |
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Full contents see: www.statewatch.org 1. Council of Europe: Damning report on secret detentions and transport of detainees 1. Council of Europe: The report concludes that: Europe has next to no safeguards to monitor or control foreign intelligence agents nor any way of monitoring that its airports and airspace were not used for illegal abductions. For a: Full list of the replies given by each European government to the CoE’s questions (link): 2. CIA-renditions-flights: Speech by Tony Bunyan, Statewatch, to the European Parliament hearing on 23 February 2006 (pdf): 3. EU-UN: Council discussions on the: Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women And Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (pdf): 4. EU: Council discussions on: Directive on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (pdf): 5. UK: House of Commons Research Library: Briefing on Police and Justice Bill (pdf): Police and Justice Bill (pdf): Explanatory Notes (pdf): The Bill includes powers to collect PNR (Passenger Name Records) on everyone on domestic flights and ferries (powers to get similar personal data on those flying in and out of the country are included in the Immigration Bill). Plus allowing “community support officers” to take part in “truancy sweeps”, power to court to remand in custody those breaching ASBOs until hearing, and police force mergers. 6. UK: House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee: Human Rights Annual Report 2005 (pdf): It includes the following conclusion: “We conclude that the Government has a duty to enquire into the allegations of extraordinary rendition and black sites under the Convention against Torture, and to make clear to the USA that any extraordinary rendition to states where suspects may be tortured is completely unacceptable.” 7. Denmark: Documents confiscated and criminal charges brought against Danish association ‘Oproer’ (Rebellion): 8. UK: Amnesty International report: Human rights: a broken promise (pdf): “Since 11 September 2001, the UK authorities have passed a series of new laws, even though the UK already had some of the toughest “anti-terrorism” laws in Europe. These laws contain sweeping provisions that contravene human rights law, and their implementation has led to serious abuses of human rights.” 9. Italy/Iraq: Hooded Abu Ghraib prisoner claims Italian contractors took part in interrogations and details abuses: 10. France: Text of the new anti-terrorist law: 11. EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council, Brussels, 21 February 2006: Press release (pdf): – A Point agenda (adopted without discussion): – B Point Agenda: – Background Note (pdf): – Discussion includes the European Evidence Warrant (doc no: 15957/05): – See also updated Terrorism Action Plan, 13 February 2006: 12. UK: Text of the Identity Card Bill as agreed by the House of Commons and sent back to the House of Lords, 14 February 2006: Text of the Terrorism Bill as agreed by the House of Commons and sent back to the House of Lords, 16 February 2006 (the Commons rejected the HoL amendment on “glorification”): www.statewatch.org/news/2006/feb/uk-terrorism-Bill-16-feb-06.pdf 13. EU: Opinion from the Article 29 Working Party on the application of EU data protection rules to internal whistleblowing schemes in the fields of accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing matters, fight against bribery, banking and financial crime: WP 117 (pdf): 14. EU: Updated map of detention camps for foreigners in Europe and Mediterranean countries: 15. UK: Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the human rights implications of the operation of the control orders regime under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (PoTA 2005) (101 pages, pdf): In the context of the Home Secretary’s decision to lay before Parliament a draft Order which, if approved by both Houses, will continue the regime in force for a further year from 11 March 2006. 15. House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union: Report on Proposed European Institute for Gender Equality (pdf): 16. UN: Report on Guantanamo Bay detainees (February 2006): 17. Italy: Decree to implement electronic passports containing biometric data – biometric data collected “will not be stored in databases”: 18. France: Council of Europe human rights commissioner presents damning report: 19. US: The Quadrennial Review for the US Department of Defence envisages an on-going “war on terrorism” across the globe with the help of “willing” allies. Among the shift envisage is a move from bombing or troops on the ground to extensive use of unmanned drones (up to 45% of its long-range strike force) whih could bomb or assasination at the touch of a computer button thousands of miles away: Quadrennial Defense Review Report – full-text (pdf): See: Guardian: Special report: America’s Long War – US introduces radical new strategy (link): 20. Greece: Immigration news digest (10 January – 8 February 2006): 21. UK: An extraordinary Bill being put through by the government would allow them to “amend, repeal or replace” any legislation by the statutory instrument procedure (ie: that used to implement Acts): Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill (pdf): Explanatory Note (pdf): Article by Daniel Finkelstein in the Times: How I woke up to a nightmare plot to steal centuries of law and liberty (link): BOOKMARK News online – full contents: ________________________________________________ |
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