Home What's New Speeches & Articles Newsletter - Sep 2008 Biography Diary Contact Information Photo Album Parliamentary Highlights Publications Links MEPs' Transparency   Conservative Party Latest News from Conservatives.com Conservative Party Website
		EU CIA Committee: "a platform for anti-US bile" Thursday, 26th January 2006 Brussels – East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer, a member of the European Parliament's Temporary Committee to examine allegations relating to "extraordinary rendition", has today described the Committee as "a platform for anti-US bile". Mr Helmer says that the main purpose of the Committee is to give the strong anti-American sentiment in parts of the European Parliament a stick with which to beat the US. Swiss Senator Dick Marty's Council of Europe report has already been panned by critics as little more than a collection of press cuttings and clichés. The US has insisted that it opposes torture and has not flown terrorist suspects to third countries where torture might take place. The Parliament's Committee met today and although no substantive business was done, Baroness Sarah Ludford, who Mr Helmer describes as "one of the most egregious bleeding hearts" in the parliament, has already used the opportunity as a pretext to call for US Vice-President Dick Cheney to appear before the Committee to give evidence. Speaking today, Mr Helmer, who intends to follow the Committee's work closely, said: "I am sure that Dick Cheney will treat Ludford's remarks with the contempt they deserve. This Committee is likely to show the Parliament's strong anti-American tendency in a poor light, and will certainly reflect a lot worse on the European parliament than it will on the USA. It's about time we in Europe started showing a little respect and gratitude for the brave and costly role which the USA is playing in the fight against terrorism. It isn't good enough to hide behind the USA when danger threatens, and then criticise it afterwards".