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		MEP slams EU's anti US bias Wednesday, 5th July 2006 Strasbourg – East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer has today attacked a European Parliament report into CIA rendition flights in Europe as ‘speculative and circumstantial’ and claimed that rather than establishing evidence it has merely provided a platform for anti-American bias. The report was prepared by the parliament's "Temporary Committee on extraordinary rendition", of which Mr. Helmer is a member. The committee has heard over fifty hours of evidence, over a period of six months, at an estimated cost of half a million euros, yet according to Mr. Helmer it has established no new evidence. It merely brings together previously published rumour, speculation and innuendo. The report, by Italian MEP Claudio Fava, accuses EU member states of supporting or conniving in rendition (the alleged practice of moving terrorist suspects between countries without due process and with the objective of mistreatment) and claims the CIA has operated more than 1,000 secret flights over EU territory in the past five years. It alleges that the CIA has kidnapped terror suspects in Europe and said those responsible for monitoring air safety regulations had revealed unusual flight patterns to and from European airports. The report also suggests some EU governments knew about the flights, although it does not accuse the UK explicitly. Speaking to a packed Strasbourg session, Mr Helmer said that Mr Fava’s report presented unsubstantiated allegations as fact. He said that evidence of flights that may have been linked to the CIA is not evidence of rendition, still less evidence of mistreatment In his speech, Mr Helmer said: “The Committee started from an a priori belief that the USA and the CIA are guilty, and merely sought, with little success, to substantiate its prejudices. It has not established evidence; it has merely provided a platform for anti-American bias. “Whether we like it or not, the War Against Terror is real, and it is now. The US has taken the lead role in this war. It has spent a huge amount of blood and treasure in the defence of Western values. We in this House should show it a little more gratitude, and a little less criticism.” The UK government has vigorously denied that rendition flights have used UK airports or over-flown the UK, and insists that it has not been involved in any rendition activity, either actively or through failing to prevent it. Read the full text of Roger's speech